A Life Less Ordinary
by ImpossibleGirl22
Summary: Kagome Higurashi is a woman with a problem. She's a famous author who's suffering from a major case of writer's block! Her editor suggests a short getaway to help jumpstart her muse. She expects to spend a few days away getting back in touch with her muse, but little did she imagine this getaway is going to prove to be more than she ever expected!
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** This story is taking place in an AU. I've set it in the US since I'm most familiar with those locations! I hope you enjoy reading and I will gladly appreciate any and all reviews!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha. If I did, well, I would have killed Kikyo off a long time ago! Sorry Kikyo fans, but she's sooooo annoying! I've never liked her and I doubt I ever will. All these wonderful characters are the sole property of Rumiko Takahashi. I'm only borrowing them!

**A Life Less Ordinary**

**Chapter One: Deadlines**

"Kags you know I'm going to need the first chapter of your new book by the end of the week. Don't tell me you're suffering from writer's block! It couldn't happen at a worse time!" Kagome frowned as she pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. It wasn't like she wanted to get writer's block, but lately she simply couldn't find her muse. Maybe it was stress maybe it was her lack of inspiration. Whatever was causing it she had to figure it out and fast!

The woman in question was Kagome Higurashi, the twenty six year old mystery writer who was hailed as the next Agatha Christie. To her that seemed to be a rather unfair comparison, but apparently her editor felt it helped to sell books. However she wouldn't be selling any books anytime soon unless she got out of her funk! "Kags! Kags don't you ignore me! Now you know I'm only being honest with you. Look why don't you take a few days off and get away. Maybe take a trip to the shore? You know the beaches are perfect this time of year." Kagome sighed and rested the heel of her palm against her cheek. "Maybe you're right, Sango. Maybe a change of scenery is what I need to get a jumpstart. Goodness knows I've got nothing going on here. Mom's visiting Sota in San Francisco and Grandfather cannot be bothered to worry about anything more than his latest bingo game. I swear I think he's going senile."

The woman on the other end of the line was her editor/best friend, Sango Taijiya. They had known each other since the two were in diapers and despite Sango moving to New York for her work as an editor they had always remained close. When Kagome wrote her first novel she couldn't think of anyone she'd rather share it with besides Sango. Once Sango read it she knew it was going to be a hit. Kagome had that natural talent to place the reader into her stories and into the world she'd created for them. With a bit of prodding, Sango had indeed managed to get the publishing company she worked for to offer Kagome the rights to publish her novel. Ever since then the two have remained partners and her publishing company the sole distributer of Kagome's genius.

"See? There you go! Problem solved! Go on and get your bag packed and just get out of there for a bit. I bet once you get home you'll feel refreshed and completely inspired to write that next blockbuster!" Kagome couldn't help but smile at her friend's enthusiasm. If she ever needed a pep talk Sango was always the one she could count on. "Okay Sango you've talked me into it. I'll have my cell phone with me if you need to reach me." Kagome was about to say her goodbyes and hang up, but Sango stopped her. "Oh and Kags, if you happen to meet a guy don't go freaking out okay? I know you're picky and I know being single 'works for you', but it never hurts to actually spend time with someone other than your cat." There was a soft mutter under Kagome's breath that Sango knew was her way of being told to hush up. "I know that sound. I know you've got that pouty frown on your face right now. You stop that before you give yourself crow's feet. No man likes crow's feet." Kagome wanted to be annoyed, but she couldn't only laugh. She knew Sango meant well, but she was almost as bad as her Mother when it came to butting into her personal life. "Sango will you stop it. You know I'm perfectly happy with Buyo being the only man in my life. He's not smelly, he doesn't make a mess, and believe it or not he actually listens when I talk to him!" Sango sighed and face palmed. "God Kagome you have not idea how sad that sounds. Now you're telling me you'd rather talk to and sleep with a cat over a man? Last time I checked being an author didn't require a vow of chastity you know." Kagome shook her head lightly. "I'm hanging UP now! Thank you! Yes, yes I get it. I'm pathetic and I need a life and I need to write this book! Is there anything else you'd like to lecture me on?" There came a genuine laugh from the other end of the line as Sango smiled. "No darling I think that about covers it! Have fun and I will talk with you in a few days!" The line disconnected and Kagome switched off her cell phone. She looked across the room at Buyo who was resting comfortably on the sofa. He raised his head lazily to stare at her. "Well boy it looks like I'm going to be taking a few days off. I'm going to leave a key with Ms. Rosemont. She'll make sure you're fed and kept company while I'm gone. Be good and I'll bring you back a treat of some kind." She slid out of her chair and headed down the hallway of her apartment toward her bedroom, shaking her head as she went. "Good god. Maybe Sango is right. I'm acting like Buyo's actually a child or something rather than my pet. Maybe I seriously do need to find a guy. Any guy. Wait.. no, not any guy. I do not want another Houjo. That bore was more than enough the first time around. Maybe I can meet someone…. oh I don't know… exciting! Mysterious! That way he can keep me company and inspire me at the same time!" She smiled to herself as she bounced into her bedroom to grab her small suitcase. This was going to be just what she needed! What could possibly go wrong?


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** This story takes place in an AU. All locations are in the United States since I'm most familiar with them! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. That honor goes to Rumiko Takahashi. I am only borrowing the characters for my story!

**A Life Less Ordinary**

**Chapter Two: A Relaxing Getaway?**

Kagome pulled her Mustang into the driveway of the Higurashi beach house and shut off the engine. When most people think 'beach house' they see this image of a large home with lots of windows and a wrap around deck. In the Higurashi's case their beach house was more like a cute little bungalow. It was plenty large enough for them and they liked the quaint feel of the property. The outside was painted a warm green and the small deck overlooking the ocean was stained a rich brown. She opened the car door and stepped out of the car. Almost immediately her nose was met with the salty smell of the ocean spray. The breeze was warm against her face as it lightly tugged at her black hair. "Perfect. Just how I remember it. I'll need to run into town to grab some groceries, but I'll do that once I'm settled."

Stepping up onto the porch she heard the creaking of the worn steps. She reached down and plucked the spare key from beneath the welcome mat and slid it into the lock. The door swung open with a gentle squeak and she stepped inside. Everything was as she left it. The small living room was furnished with serviceable, yet homely pieces. An oversized chair sat beneath the large bay window, a colorful blanket draped over its arm. Setting her small suitcase down and slinging her laptop bag into the chair she made her way into the kitchen. There were a few of the essentials still remaining from her last visit, but as she guessed most things she would need would have to be purchased at the market in town. She walked over to the door that opened to the back deck and slid it open. She stepped out onto the deck and inhaled deeply. She let the breath out slowly and smiled to herself. She'd been here for five minutes and she was already beginning to relax. Sango had been right, much to Kagome's chagrin. She really had needed this. More than she was aware of.

Kagome was about to turn around and head back inside when movement from the next house down caught the corner of her eye. There out on the deck of the home was a woman with dark hair. She turned and Kagome let out a soft gasp. The woman could have almost been her twin, if she had a sister! The same dark hair falling to her mid-back, the same jawline, same shape of the nose. She couldn't see the woman's eye color, but as eerie as things were she was going to guess the woman's eyes were a dark blue or perhaps brown. What are the chances of someone who looked so similar to her being her neighbor? She pushed it out of her head and shook it in amusement as she slipped back into the house.

On the deck next door the other dark haired woman let out her own sigh. This one wasn't of pleasure, however. No, Kikyo Ito was anything but pleased. She was supposed to be hiding from her supposed "boss", but she didn't count on being followed by his rather dogged private investigator hired to track her down. No. This was not what she was expecting. Just down the beach, parked in one of the public lots, was a dark late model sedan. Inside it sat Inuyasha Takahashi, one of the best private investigators in all of California. If there was someone that needed to be found Inuyasha was the man for the job. Glancing down at the folder open on the passenger seat he scanned its details. "Ito, Kikyo. Age: 26. Height: 5'6". Weight: 120lbs. Black hair, brown eyes. Works for Shikon Holding as the personal secretary of Onigumo, Naraku." Inuyasha reached up and swiped off his fedora, allowing the two furry appendages atop his head to flex a bit, before jamming it back down onto his head. Word on the street was Miss Ito was in it up to her rather pretty neck, having stumbled upon some information the rather unscrupulous Mr. Onigumo didn't want anyone finding out. Hey it wasn't his concern if the guy was dirty. He paid well and that's all that mattered to Inuyasha. A guy's gotta pay the bills, right? So here he sat in his car, waiting for just the right time to slip over to her home and do a little recon. Snap a few photos, plant a listening device, the usual in his line of work. Onigumo was paying him to find out just where Kikyo was and just how much she knew.

Back in the bungalow Kagome had taken the time to unpack and set her laptop up on the small kitchen table which would serve as her makeshift desk. Humming softly to herself she slid her shoes off and walked into the bedroom to change. Emerging a few moments later in denim cutoffs, a pink tank, and white cardigan she walked over to the table and sat down. "Okay Kagome. You can do this. Sango is counting on you to have the first chapter of this new book done! So what's it going to be? Serial Killer? Stalker? Oh! Maybe I could write about a girl who's being tracked by her employer because she found out something she shouldn't!" She rolled her eyes and giggled softly to herself at that last plot idea. "Yeah right, like that kind of thing actually happens. Guess serial killer it is!"

Several hours passed and she found herself still staring at a blank screen. What was the matter with her! Why couldn't she come up with anything productive? Letting out a growl of frustration she pushed away from the table and headed for the door. She paused to grab her purse and slip into a pair of worn sandals. Maybe it was time for that trip to the market for groceries. She pulled the door shut behind her and locked it. Walking down the steps to her car she slid in and cranked it. The Mustang's engine roared to life and she backed out of the drive and headed down the street into town. With the top down on her convertible she let the wind whip her dark hair about as she sang slightly off key along with the radio. What was it about the Beach Boys that made you want to sing along? She passed right by the public lot, not paying any mind to the dark sedan parked there. She was much too focused on singing along with Kokomo.

Maybe she didn't pay any mind, but the silver haired man in the sedan certainly paid her little red Mustang attention. "Prncss K huh? Cute Kikyo. What a way to draw attention to yourself. Guess you didn't exactly understand the whole 'hiding out' bit. Not driving around in a convertible with the top down!" He laughed at just how easy this job was going to be as he backed out of the lot and fell a safe distance in behind the little red Mustang. "Yeah Takahashi. Easy as taking candy from a baby."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: **Welcome to another chapter of A Life Less Ordinary! I hope you've been enjoying the story thus far. As with previous chapters all places mentioned in the story are within the United States!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha. That honor goes to Rumiko Takahashi. I am, however, borrowing the characters to take part in my crazy little story!

**A Life Less Ordinary**

**Chapter Three: **Grocery Store Stalker?

Kagome pulled into a parking spot in front of the market and shut off the car. Down the street the black sedan was pulling into its own spot just far enough away to keep an eye on the driver of the cute little Mustang. Inuyasha had to admit the driver was pretty brazen to drive around in that attention attracter if she was so afraid of being found. Why else did she run if she wasn't trying to hide out? Sliding out of the sedan he casually walked down the sidewalk toward the entrance of the market.

Kagome pulled out a basket from the stand and looped her arm through the handles. She had a mental list prepared of the items she would need, but like most all people she could be a bit of an impulse shopper. "Let's see. I'm going to be here for three days. I should get enough of the essentials now so I won't have to come back." Sure talking to oneself seemed silly, but it had always helped her organize her thoughts. As she walked down the produce aisle she paused to take a look at the apples. "Hmm. These look pretty good. I could grab a few of those and have them as a snack." Grabbing a plastic bag from the roll she quickly selected a few of the red apples and placed them inside. Giving the bag a quick twist shut she placed it into the basket and kept going.

Outside Inuyasha had arrived at the entrance of the store. He didn't need to see her to know she was in there. He considered his demon sense of smell to be one of the attributes that set him apart in his job. Her scent was intriguing, a mixture of lavender and vanilla. That was tinged with the saltiness in the air creating a wholly unique scent he knew he'd have trouble forgetting once the job was done. Walking into the store he grabbed a basket himself. Sure he didn't actually need anything, but who goes into a market and doesn't actually "shop" for something? He felt she was close and as he casually began to walk down the produce aisle he took a moment to listen for her footfalls.

"Oh! I can't forget the Ramen. Let's see I think I'll grab three cups of the chicken, a couple shrimp, and a vegetable. That will give me a pretty good selection!" Kagome loaded her basket with the cups of instant noodles and began to hum a bit to herself. A few aisles away Inuyasha couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he listened to her carry on the conversation with herself. The girl sure did like her Ramen. How could anyone that tiny actually eat that many cups? Her humming caught his attention and he smirked to himself. He was pretty sure the tune was familiar, but music hadn't really been a big deal for him. As he continued on he wound his way around the various aisles, keeping as close an eye out as he dared. She continued her shopping, pausing every so often to grab an item or two.

With her basket nearly full Kagome had reached the snack aisle. Here was the bane of her existence. Chocolate, a woman's natural enemy! Why should it taste so good yet be so bad for you? It just wasn't fair! Resisting the urge to grab several bags of cookies from the shelf she let out a little groan of frustration and pushed herself to keep walking. She turned the corner and as she was about to head down the next aisle she caught a flash of silver disappearing around the previous aisle. Silver? Who in the world would have silver hair? Must be some strange beach fad. She pushed it out of her mind and continued on to the drink aisle.

In the snack aisle she'd just left Inuyasha was swearing under his breath. That was close! How could he have become that distracted to have nearly been spotted tailing her? He would have to be more careful. With her basket full Kagome was now making her way to the front to check out. Just as she was going to get in line she bit her bottom lip and let out a sigh. "Oh fine! I'll go back and get that bag of cookies! If I don't get them now I'll just make myself crazy wanting them later!" She turned and hurried back toward the snack aisle. Not especially paying attention she collided with someone's back. She let out a squeak as she bounced back, her backside meeting the floor of the store. Her basket was sent flying, its contents now littering the aisle around her. Her face was burning from the embarrassment as she attempted to scramble back to her feet. "Oh! Oh.. God I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going! I hope I didn't.." Her voice trailed off as she looked up and saw silver hair. "You!" She gasped softly and as the owner of that silver hair turned around Kagome was met with the most incredible pair of eyes she'd ever seen. They were an unnaturally brilliant shade of gold, like liquid pools of it! She became aware she was staring and blushed profusely.

Inuyasha was at a loss. Here he had been so careful to avoid being caught following her and the crazy wench went and ran right into the back of him! And now she was gaping at him like a fish out of water! He stifled a groan as he shook his head. "It's fine. No harm, right? Guess I should be asking if you hurt yourself. Someone as small as you taking a fall like that, it musta hurt." She crossed her arms as she straightened to her full height, which coincidentally only reached to his mid chest, and sent him a little glare. "Hey I said I was sorry. You don't have to insult me! Not everybody can be a big brute now can they?" She let out a little huff and turned to gather her items. Sure he was drop dead gorgeous and all, but far too rude! The faster she was away from him the faster her temper would return to normal. Inuyasha winced at her tone and realized she might be a bit miffed by his comment regarding her size. "Here let me help. It's the least I can do." He reached for a cup of the Ramen and handed it to her. Their fingers brushed and she jerked her hand back as she'd been shocked! What was that all about? Could you actually feel a current spark between two people? She was certain she'd felt something when they accidentally touched, but she was going to play it off as though nothing had happened. "Um.. thanks I guess. Again I'm sorry I ran into you. Have a nice day." Kagome turned, hugging her basket to her chest, and made a dash for the front of the store. He looked down and noticed she'd forgotten a bottle of water. Scooping it up he followed her to the front. "Hey you forgot this. It rolled under the shelf." She stopped and turned to see him holding out her bottle of flavored water.

She stood there just looking at him before finally reaching for the bottle, careful not to allow her hand to touch his as before. "Thank you. I really should be getting back home. Anyway, nice to meet you and all." She turned and hurried up to the counter, dumping the contents of her basket on the conveyer belt. Inuyasha shook his head as he watched her, her cheeks still retaining the blush from earlier. She was even prettier up close. Sighing softly he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. Yeah this job was going to prove to be more of a challenge than he imagined. A PI isn't supposed to fall for the mark. That was like rule number one! In a world with very few actual rules, falling for your mark was a sure sign you wouldn't last long. Besides, Naraku had paid him a lot of money to find this chick and he'd done that. Now all he had to do was get back and get in touch with him and tell him just where his errant secretary had hidden herself.

Kagome thanked the checkout clerk softly and gathered her bags and made her way to the door. She took a quick glance over her shoulder and found that pair of golden eyes staring back at her. She appeared startled and turned and hurried out of the market. No one had unsettled her quite the way this man had and she couldn't figure out why! Sliding into her car she started it and let out the breath she'd been holding in. She pulled out of the parking spot and headed back toward the bungalow. She was trying to push her thoughts toward anything but those eyes. God. It was unfair! "Sure Kagome. You know perfectly why he unsettles you! He's drop dead gorgeous and you haven't had a date in six months! Guys that hot don't just grow on trees!"

Back at the market Inuyasha had the same thoughts. He had the description of her, sure, but that didn't do her justice! Up close he could see every perfect feature, from her porcelain skin to her button nose. And those eyes! Oh those eyes were so full of intelligence and passion. He shook himself out of the daze and quickly paid for his few items and headed out to his own car. She didn't have much of a head start, but it wasn't like he didn't know where she was going. She was headed back to that cute little bungalow with her bag full of Ramen. Hey he liked Ramen. Maybe he should invite himself over? Naraku said she'd taken something valuable. It couldn't hurt to do a bit of looking around. If he recovered what it was she stole he had promised Inuyasha a bonus. Bonuses were always welcome. Bonuses would be worth spending a bit of time with the pretty Kikyo Ito and her Ramen.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Thank you for continuing reading my story! Reviews and recommendations are always welcome. As before, all places mentioned in this story are in the US.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha, sadly. That honor goes to Rumiko Takahashi. I am simply borrowing the characters for my crazy little story!

**A Life Less Ordinary**

**Chapter Four: An Innocent Meeting?**

Inuyasha pulled his sedan into the parking lot of the seedy little motel he was using as his temporary "home base" and slid out of the car. The meeting with "Kikyo" still fresh in his mind he knew the first priority was to contact Naraku and give him an update. He thought his employer would be rather pleased he'd found her so quickly. Given the amount of money Naraku was paying him time certainly seemed of the essence? He unlocked the door to Room 216 and kicked the door shut with a booted foot. Swiping the hat from his head he lightly tossed it onto the nearest double bed and let out a sigh. It was hotter than hell in the room with the air conditioning broken. He pulled the hem of his shirt from his pants and unbuttoned it before tugging it off and tossing it into a corner. His white tank was stuck to him like a second skin and it took a moment to tug it over his head and untangle his hair from the collar. Plopping himself not so gracefully onto the bed he reached for his cell and popped open the phone book, quickly locating Naraku's personal number. Pressing "call" he kicked his feet up onto the bed and reclined against the headboard. After several rings a deep voice answered on the other end.

"This is Naraku. I hope you're calling me with good news, Mr. Takahashi". Inuyasha didn't exactly find the man's clipped tone appealing, but whether or not this Naraku fella was an ass really wasn't a concern of his. It wasn't like they were going to be drinking buddies or anything. "Yeah Naraku I've got some good news. I found your girl. She's hiding out in a little bungalow down in Santa Monica. Looks nice and cozy, too. Caught her buying some groceries so it looks like she's gonna be staying a few days at least. Maybe more." Naraku's lips curled with a rather sinister smile, his fingertip trailing down the photographed cheek of Kikyo currently sitting on his desk. "That is most definitely good news, Mr. Takahashi. Very good work. I trust you have the address of this quaint little bungalow?" Inuyasha naturally did have the address, but there was the slightest pause in the recesses of his conscience that told him not to give it to Naraku. He didn't know why, but it was one of those six sense things of his. "Uh yeah I've got the address, but I didn't know if you wanted me to trail her for a day or two more before you came down. You know, in case she is meeting somebody or something? You paid me for the week so it's not like I mind."

Naraku's smile quickly faded as a scowl replaced it. He was this close to Kikyo and now all of a sudden this asshole was getting a case of good conscience? Well he was having none of it! "That will not be necessary, Mr. Takahashi. If you'll give me the address I am confident I can handle things from here. She IS my girlfriend, after all. She's so much more than my assistant. Poor dear must be worried why I haven't called her by now." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and stifled a smart-ass comment. 'Oh sure.. I just bet the wench is worried why you haven't called. From the sound of things not talking to you is probably a good thing'. "Whatever you think is best, Naraku. You're the one paying me so here. She's staying at 2420 Golden Palms Road. There will be a red Mustang convertible in the drive." With a sigh Inuyasha closed his eyes, that nagging feeling suddenly becoming much stronger. Why did he feel like he'd just sent the little lamb Kikyo to the slaughter? "Very good Mr. Takahashi. I do appreciate your hard work and I don't need to remind you of your discretion? Consider the remainder of this week's pay your incentive to remain… oblivious."

Yeah that sent all sorts of red flags off in Inuyasha's mind. Paying him to be quiet? Just what in the hell had this wench gone and gotten herself into? Fucking hell at this rate she must have stolen the company secrets or something! "Fine Naraku. Fine. You know I ain't gonna say shit to nobody. What you do with her is your business. All I care about is getting paid." Naraku grinned, steepling his hands. "Very good then Mr. Takahashi. I shall take my leave and give you my thanks on a job well done." The line disconnected and Inuyasha tossed the phone down onto the bed with a muttered curse. "Dammit. What the fuck am I gonna do now? I probably just sent that wench to her fucking deathbed. Good job, Takahashi. You're a real class act, asshole."

Pushing himself off the bed he walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. With the water barely more than ice cold, he shed his pants and boots and stepped into the small stall, sticking his head under the water. It ran down his lowered head, soaking the silver mane. With a sigh he ran his hands across his face, pushing the water from his eyes. After the quick shower he stepped out of the bathroom wearing just a towel and walked over to his duffle bag and rummaged inside, absently tossing out articles of clothing until he found what he considered suitable for finding a way to again accidentally bump into her. If he knew where she was there stood a chance he could at the very least keep an eye on her. At least until he was sure Naraku wasn't actually going to harm her. Maybe he was being paranoid for nothing. Maybe Naraku genuinely did miss the wench and wanted to reconnect with her, along with getting back whatever it was she'd taken. He'd keep telling himself that for now. Otherwise there'd be no way he would sleep.

He stepped out of the motel room dressed in a red Hawaiian print shirt, another white tank, and grey cargo shorts. Casual, yet effective in blending in with the beach crowd. Now all he had to do was managed to accidentally "bump" into her again. Maybe this time he'd actually introduce himself rather than gawk at her from around the ramen aisle. Climbing into his car he pulled out of the motel and headed back toward the little green bungalow.

Inside her modest little kitchen, Kagome was sitting down to start work on her book. She was still struggling for ideas, but the serial killer angle was the best she had. Maybe she could make it work. If she wanted to keep her head on her shoulders she would! Sango wasn't going to wait around forever for her to get it together. Staring at the blank word document she let out a sigh. Maybe a cup of tea would help! Sure a nice, relaxing cup of herbal tea. That will do nicely. She slid out of the chair and walked to the cabinet, retrieving the kettle from inside. She filled it with water and set it on the small stove. Turning on the burner she walked over to the back door and looked out at the ocean as she waited for the water to boil.

He pulled up in front of the bungalow, noticing her Mustang was in the driveway. Good she was home. Now all he needed was an excuse to drop in. He bit his bottom lip in thought and after a moment a smile crossed his lips. Bounding out of the car he walked up to her door and knocked gently. Inside she stiffened and turned toward the sound of the knock. Who on Earth would be here? No one but Sango even knew she was here! She padded over to the front door in her bare feet and stood on tiptoes to look out the peephole. She wasn't able to see much so she hesitantly cracked open the door and peered around it. "Yes? H.. how can I help you?" It came out a bit hoarse and she cleared her throat softly. "You aren't selling something, are you?" He looked up at her and sent her a dazzling smile with just a hint of fang. Her eyes widened slowly and she felt her breath hitch. It was the man from the market! The silver haired, golden-eyed GOD she'd bumped into! How had he found her? There was no way the gods would be that kind to her to drop this sexy man into her lap simply by chance! "You! I.. you.. the market! You're the man I bumped into at the market earlier!" He grinned and bowed slightly. "That would be me. Sorry to disturb you, but see my car broke down out there in front of your house and I was wondering if I could use your phone to call AAA?" She raised an eyebrow slowly. "My phone? You do realize this is 2015. Don't tell me you aren't familiar with these great little things called cell phones?" He laughed and shook his head that silver mane of his spilling over his shoulder. "Oh relax wench I know what a cell phone is. If mine wasn't dead I would be using it. Since the battery is dead I can't very well call off it, can I? So that's why I was hoping to use your phone. Unless of course you're the weirdo and don't have one?" Her eyes widened and she took a step back. "First of all, I'm not weird! Of course I have a phone! And second, I have a name! It isn't wench! It's Kagome! Ka-go-me. If you're going to be rude at least be rude to me while using my name!" He rolled his eyes and started in on her, but something stopped him. "Wait. What? Kagome? Your name's Kagome? Oh….FUCK. You aren't her! You aren't fucking HER!"


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** I hope everyone is continuing to enjoy the story. I apologize for the delay in updating, but I hope this chapter will make up for it!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha. I can wish and hope, but I know that honor is exclusively Rumiko Takahashi's. I am simply borrowing him and his friends for my crazy story!

**A Life Less Ordinary**

**Chapter Five: **The Truth Shall Set You Free?

Kagome blinked and inhaled sharply at his outburst. "What? I don't understand? What do you mean I'm not her?" She was just about to slam the door in his face when his arm shot out and grabbed hold of her wrist. "Wait. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I.. I..oh fuck it. Look wench I'm really a private investigator. I was sent here to find you. Well I thought it was you. Apparently I was wrong." She shook her head and tried in vain to wrench her wrist from his grasp. "I don't give a damn what you do or who you are! Let GO of me and get the hell off my porch! You are nuts!" With all of her strength she wrenched back and her wrist finally slipped from his grip. She turned, her black hair slapping him in the face, slamming the door behind her. "I'm warning you! GO away! If you aren't gone in five minutes I'm going to call the cops!"

On the other side of the closed door Inuyasha groaned. "Wench I can't just leave! You don't understand! I mistook you for someone else and well… I fucked up, okay? I think I might have set someone real bad on your trail by mistake!" 'Oh that'll put her at ease, stupid. Great job. Now she's going to call the cops for sure!' Inside the bungalow Kagome now had her cell phone in her hands, her thumb just about to press "Emergency" on the display. "I.. I mean it. Just go away! I don't care. I think you're insane and I just want nothing more to do with you! If you fucked up that's YOUR problem, not mine!" He heard her angrily stomp away from the door further into the bungalow. Soon he heard the unmistakable sound of a dispatcher through her phone. _"911 what is your emergency?"_ "Yes my name is Kagome Higurashi and I'm at 2420 Golden Palms Road. I want to report a vagrant lurking around my front porch. I heard someone's footsteps on my porch and I yelled at them to go away, but I'm afraid they didn't leave! Could you send someone over to just make sure they're not trying to break in?" _"Remain calm Miss Higurashi and we'll have a car drive by your house. Just stay by your phone and if you hear or see anything else you call back immediately."_ "Thank you so much. I really appreciate it!"

Back at his car Inuyasha was scrambling to figure out what to do next. On the one hand if he called Naraku and told him about the mix up it would be his ass on the line. However if he didn't call and tell him the girl he thought was "Kikyo" wasn't her at all the wench Kagome was going to be in serious trouble. Like maybe life threatening trouble. He jerked his hands through his thick mane and tugged before letting out an annoyed growl. He knew he had to get the hell out of there before the cops showed up. That was one bit of trouble he didn't need! Shit was complicated enough! He slammed the car into drive and peeled down the road back toward his motel. While driving he brought up Naraku's number on his phone and tried calling. "C'mon you fucker pick up! When I need to talk to your creepy ass I can't reach you!" He nervously gripped the steering wheel as the phone rang and rang and rang. Finally there came a click and he mentally cheered. "Naraku! Listen I wanted to let you know.." Before he even finished there was an interruption as Naraku's voice mail picked up. "FUCK! I bet he's already left! Now what the hell am I going to do?" He slammed his hand angrily on the dashboard. This was the worst possible situation. The wench was in serious shit now. Naraku was on his way and he was going to be one pissed off asshole when he found the wench instead of his Kikyo. He had to make a plan and had to make one fast.

Back at the bungalow Kagome was thanking the officer who had taken a quick look around her property. He kindly informed her he saw no intruders or signs one was still in the area. He assured her she was safe and with a tip of his hat he made his way back to his patrol car. She shut the door with a sigh and slid her way down to the floor. Drawing her knees to her chest she laid her head on her knees and tried to get control of herself. So much for her relaxing little getaway being productive. If anything she was more screwed up than ever! On top of the writer's block she was now suffering from a rather sudden onset of anxiety. What if the silver haired, talking, talking embodiment of sex appeal had told her the truth? What if he really was a PI and had somehow mistaken her for someone else? What if that crazy man he warned her about was really on his way to find her?

She couldn't afford to just sit on the floor at the front door and agonize over what could just as easily been a crazy guy ranting, trying to find some way to get her attention. It certainly would be a unique way to try and get a date, but who was she to judge? Pulling herself from the floor she went back into the kitchen and flopped down in front of the computer. "Come on girl you've got to write something! Maybe you can use this weirdness as inspiration! The PI certainly would make an appealing hero! Even you can't deny he's a walking sex god! That hair, those eyes, oh and the ears!" She sighed and couldn't help but let out a little giggle. "So he's a touch crazy and a bit irritable. Maybe my readers can overlook those parts of his personality and simply enjoy his looks!"

Across town Inuyasha wasn't in such a good mood. The wench was in trouble and she'd all but called him insane and threw him off her property! How the FUCK was he going to fix this shit if she wouldn't listen! "Goddamn wench! TOO stubborn to realize I'm just trying to look after her stupid ass! She can't go toe to toe with Naraku! Hell even I don't want to go toe to toe with that nut job!" He paced back and forth in front of the bed what seemed like a few thousand times. There was certain to be a hole worn in the carpet once he'd checked out. There had to be something he could do and whether or not the little wench wanted it HE was going to keep an eye on her.

In the sky over California a private jet was making its way to a little out of the way airport. Naraku leaned back in his seat and swirled his whiskey around in his glass. It wouldn't be long now. Kikyo would be back under his thumb and all knowledge of his plans would return where they belonged, back in his confidential files. Yes he couldn't be more pleased. "Time's up my dear Kikyo. You thought you could get away, but you should have known there's nowhere you can run that I won't find you. You are mine to do with as I please." He chuckled evilly to himself. Yes he was definitely going to enjoy their little reunion.

Inuyasha packed up his clothes and his gear and checked out of the motel. He tossed his back into the back of his car and pulled out of the parking lot, heading back toward her house. The little girl was going to accept his help one way or the other. He would make sure she was safe from Naraku. He'd broken into plenty of places before so what could be hard about letting himself into her house? There had to be a backdoor. He'd wait until it was dark and then he would put his plan into motion. Maybe she wouldn't appreciate it at first, but he knew she'd see it his way once he laid on the charm. Who could resist him when he really tried to get his way? He smirked to himself as he drove down the street toward her house. It was going to be like taking candy from a very, very cute baby. "What the fuck? Cute? Since when did I begin to think about the wench being cute? Stay focused, Inuyasha. She might be cute…OKAY she is more than cute. But that isn't important right now! Keeping her ass out of trouble is!" 'Besides once she was safe there would be plenty of time to ask her out.' He shook his head and grinned. Oh yeah.. this was going to be fun.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: **I apologize for the delay in posting this new chapter! I've just been a busy bee lately and had no real time to proofread and such! I hope I can update in a more timely fashion in the future! To all my readers, thank you for being patient! I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I know, I know. I don't own Inuyasha because the amazing Rumiko Takahashi does! I hope she doesn't mind my borrowing her creations to have fun with!

**A Life Less Ordinary**

**Chapter Six: The Trouble You Know Is Better Than The Trouble You Don't!**

Kagome curled up on the sofa with a sigh. There had been no signs of that insane PI coming back, at least not yet. The police had assured her all was quiet, but she couldn't help but think back to what the man, Inuyasha, had told her. He had unknowingly sent someone dangerous after her? And she was supposed to just overlook that and allow the same person who GOT her into trouble to protect her? She frowned softly. "That man is insane! Who is he to tell me he's the only one who can protect me? This whole mess is his fault! Stupid jerk!" She angrily pushed herself off the sofa and stomped toward the bathroom. She was tense and on edge thanks to this. She thought perhaps a nice relaxing bubble bath would help her ease the tension and that twinge of fear, which currently resided in the recess of her mind. She walked over to the old claw tub, turned the water on to hot. She tugged her shirt over her head and pulled it free of the tangle of her hair. Running her finger beneath the cascade of hot water she found the temperature to be satisfactory and reached down to plug the drain. She stepped to the small vanity and grabbed a bottle of shimmery pink bubble bath. Dumping a generous amount into the water she reached in and stirred the mix, watching as bubbles began to dominate the tub. Laying the bottle aside she shirked the rest of her clothing and tossed them into the corner, grabbed a towel and draped it over the bar behind the tub, and gingerly stepped into the bubbly water. She sank down and rested her head on the back of the tub while her toes absently played with the bubbles. Letting out a sigh she closed her eyes and smiled to herself as she finally began to feel the telltale sign of relaxation hit.

Down the street the dark sedan had pulled in behind a dumpster. Inuyasha thought better of making his presence known to the wench. Knowing her she'd just call the cops again. He couldn't believe she'd done that! Here he was, risking his neck, just to keep the bitch safe. '_Right. Pat yourself on the back, why don't you? Are you forgetting it's your fault she's needing protection at all?'_ He gritted his teeth and let out an annoyed growl. "Oh shut up! I didn't know the fucking bitch was the wrong girl! The two of them look alike! Like too fucking much alike! Not my damn fault for that!" Sure he could tell himself that all day long, but that nagging little voice he suspected was his conscience wouldn't stop taunting him. Reaching into the back seat he grabbed his duffle bag and flashlight and slipped out of the car. If he were going to keep an eye on her he would have to rely on his skills at remaining unseen. The damn wench couldn't appreciate the trouble he was going to on her account. He began walking down the street toward her home, determined to not allow anything to get in his way.

Back in her bath, Kagome was humming softly to herself as she toed bubbles; kicking them up and watching them fall back onto the pile. She let out a giggle as a few popped close to her nose, tickling it. She'd always loved bubble baths and as a little girl her mother had told her no matter how bad the day seemed all a girl needed was a bubble bath and the world would look bright again. Right this moment she was certainly grateful for her mother being right. This had been a pretty lousy day, but as she relaxed and played in the tub she felt herself slowly begin to recharge. Her stomach growled softly and she laughed aloud at the sound. "Well I guess that's my reminder I forgot to eat dinner! Okay, okay. Soon as I get washed off you'll get yours!" She patted her stomach affectionately and sat up, reaching for the bath sponge. Continuing the hum, she began to wash herself.

Inuyasha was now coming up onto her house. The bungalow was mostly dark and he wondered for a moment if the wench had gone to bed already. However the sounds of humming coming from the back of the house alerted him to her being very much awake. He crept up along the side of the house, making his way toward her back deck. Despite the lack of stairs the jump was nothing for a half demon. With little effort he leapt onto the back deck soundlessly and landed in a crouch. Straightening he walked over to the sliding back door and gave it a tug. It opened and he bit back a curse. _'Does this stupid girl have a death wish? I tell her someone's gonna try and kill her and she leaves the fucking back door unlocked? You've gotta be shitting me! Jesus F'n Christ how stupid can she be?' _ He stepped inside, quietly sliding the door shut behind her. He reached back and actually locked it before creeping into her tiny kitchen. The interior of the bungalow was mostly dark, save the light shining from beneath the closed bathroom door. So that's where the humming was coming from. The wench was most likely taking a shower. He groaned mentally as an image of her naked and covered in soapsuds flashed through his head. _'God not now. Can't afford to think about that while I'm trying to work! Fuck I need to get laid and quick. It's been awhile and it ain't good for the job!'_ He listened as soft splashing could be heard and he quickly realized she was in the bath, not the shower as he'd originally thought. His libido kicked into overdrive at that image. Shaking his head he slid the duffle back off and tossed it silently onto the sofa. Not paying enough attention to the floor he found the toe of his boot catching on a throw rug. He reached for the small sofa table to steady himself, but only hit a lamp, which was now laying in pieces on the floor. _'FUCK! Fuckity, FUCK, fuck! Can't believe I did that! Damn wench has me all distracted and I knock a fucking lamp off the table cause I trip? Get ahold of yourself, man! Jesus!'_

Inside the bathroom Kagome heard the crash and she stopped humming immediately. She sucked in a breath and gripped the edge of the tub in fear. There was someone in her house! She instantly struggled to recall if she'd locked the back door after coming inside from the deck. Shutting her eyes she tried to get her rapidly beating heart under control and remain as quiet as possible. Maybe if whoever it was didn't realize she was in the bathroom they'd steal what they came for and just leave. She'd rather lose a few possessions than her life! Tense moments passed and she heard no further noises. Perhaps the burglar had been afraid of alerting her to their presence and simply left after knocking the lamp off. She stood slowly in the tub aiming to make as little splash as possible. She grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her, keeping her hand on the top as she climbed gingerly from the tub. She made her way to the door and turned the knob slowly, pulling the door quietly open. Ducking just her head out of the room and into the darkened hall, nothing immediately caught her attention. She crept all the way out into the hall, her hand tightly clenching her towel closed. Tiptoeing down the darkened hallway toward the kitchen she held in each breath. She was just about to come into the living room when a shadow moved out of the corner of her eye. She screamed as she groped for something to use as a weapon, sadly coming up empty. Just then a strong hand clamped down over her mouth and she screamed again, reaching up with both hands to try and claw the hand away. Not even paying attention to the towel now pooled at her feet she lifted her leg and brought the heel of her foot down on what she hoped was the top of the intruder's foot. They let out a growling howl and the hand fell free. Whirling around she ran toward the kitchen and grabbed a coffee mug from the counter. Hurling it into the darkness, she began to sob uncontrollably.

"Are you trying to kill me, you stupid bitch? Jesus! Would you watch where the fuck you're aiming with that mug? It almost smashed right into my face!" Broad shoulders came into view as moonlight streamed in from the back door. She screamed again and reached for a second mug, but the intruder was quicker. Crossing to her side in only a few strides he now had her wrist in his grip, twisting her arm behind her. She let out a yelp of pain as the mug slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor. "Let me GO! Let me GO! Take whatever you want! My purse is by the door! Here's my computer! You can have whatever, just leave me alone!" Her voice came out a near hysterical sob as Inuyasha just began to laugh. "Good god, wench. I don't want anything from you! I told you I was here to keep an eye on you and you called the fucking cops on me! Now shut the hell up and let me do my damn job! It's the fucking least I could do, alright?" The struggling stopped and she quieted as his voice registered with her brain. Her eyes widened in shock and she jerked away from him, spinning around and staring him down angrily. "YOU! You're that… that stupid PI! The one who got me into this mess! I told you to stay the hell away from me! Why are you standing here in the dark in my kitchen!" He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms across his broad chest. She narrowed her eyes and slid her hand along the wall, searching for the kitchen light switch. With a flick the room was bathed in artificial light. She watched as his eyes went from a glare of annoyance to a leer of appreciation. It was right then when she felt the cool of the room's air on her skin. And it was right then when she began to scream again as her arms crossed across her more intimate parts of her body. "PERVERT! You! I.. you… I'm NAKED you moron! Turn around! NOW! You're trying to kidnap me while I'm naked! OH my GOD!" She scrambled to the sofa and jerked the small afghan from the back and wrapped herself inside of it. "GET out! Get OUT! Get the hell out of my house! I told you I don't need your help! And if THIS is the kind of help you're offering you can shove it right straight up your ass!"

He was roaring with laughter, as the girl's cheeks were even redder than that afghan she'd cocooned herself inside of. He knew right away she'd been naked once that towel dropped, but who was he to kindly remind her of that fact? He was like any red blooded male, half demon or not, and she certainly had plenty for him to appreciate. He wouldn't be getting the feel of her naked little ass against him anytime soon. She stood there, all five foot two of her, sputtering and spouting curse after curse and all he could do was just let her get it all out. Maybe she'd eventually grow tired of screaming at him. "It's NOT funny you asshole! You broke into my house, you see me naked, you RUB up against me while I'm naked, and NOW you're laughing?"

Inuyasha held up a finger and she quieted only momentarily. "Correction princess. I didn't break in. You, in your infinite smartness, left the door unlocked. I tell you someone's after you and you leave the door unlocked? Fuck you need me more than I thought!" Her eyes widened and she just shook her head. "I don't need anyone. Especially perverted private investigators who are really BAD at their jobs!" He inhaled sharply and the smile fell from his face. Crossing over to stand toe to toe with her he gripped her chin in his hand gently. "Listen here, wench. I do my job just fine. I'm the fucking best PI out there, make no mistake. Otherwise the asshole I worked for wouldn't have hired me. YOU look just like the bitch I'm looking for, okay? It was a simple mistake! One I'm trying to fucking FIX if you'd let me!" He let go of her chin before he wound up doing something he wouldn't necessarily regret, but would definitely struggle with. Those lips of hers were just too tempting and as gorgeous as she was, she had trouble written all over her. He raked a hand through his hair and slumped down on the sofa. She noticed his shift in mood and she stepped closer, her hip leaning against the arm of the sofa. "You.. you're really serious, aren't you? I'm in trouble. Real trouble." He raised his head and stared into her eyes, his golden ones never appearing more serious. "Yeah wench. This is real trouble. So why don't you just let me protect you? Huh? I'm not ready to have a dead girl on my conscience."


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** Here we go with another chapter! I again apologize for the wait, but I would like to take a moment to thank all those who've favorited my story and left wonderful comments! I greatly appreciate all of you and your interest is what keeps me writing! So without further adieu, here's Chapter 7!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha unfortunately. His adorable self belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I make no profits from the characters, either. I'm simply borrowing them for my crazy story!

**A Life Less Ordinary**

**Chapter Seven: A Dangerous Liaison**

Kagome stared at him through lowered lashes. She couldn't at the moment fully comprehend the danger she truly was in. This man, this.. Naraku.. according to Inuyasha he was seriously bad. Like, think your worst nightmare come to life and then worse than that bad! She at first was hesitant to believe anything the insane PI told her, but when he gave her that look and she saw his golden gaze darken she began to realize the situation was just as dire as he'd made it out to be. Silence stretched on for minutes, but to Inuyasha it felt like hours. He hadn't meant to scare her, but he wasn't just going to dick around with her either. She needed to understand the danger and she needed to accept his protection from that danger! "I'm going to go dress now. As much as I love a good chat in my birthday suit, I feel I'd be a bit more comfortable with my clothes on." Inuyasha blinked as she broke the silence and with a grunt he spoke. "Yeah you go and do that, wench. It's not like I want to sit here and look at you naked." _'No, more like you want to go and get naked with her! No way is looking enough. You wanna touch, too!' _ He growled low under his breath and she raised an eyebrow as she thought she heard him mutter 'shut up, asshole' to himself. She wasn't sure what that was about, but it seemed the bristly PI was a rather complicated individual. As she turned and disappeared down the hall into her bedroom she gave the man in her living room more thought. Sure he was gorgeous. She was a woman after all and she knew when to appreciate the male form. And Inuyasha's form was… to put it bluntly… sexy as hell. Yet she couldn't figure out why he tried to hard to be such an asshole! Was it an act? Or was he really and truly that much of a jerk?

Back in the living room Inuyasha leaned his head back on the sofa and closed his eyes. The image of a very naked Kagome returned to his mind and he groaned softly. "Fucking hell. Why me? Is this some kind of test of my willpower? She stood there naked, hurling a coffee mug at me! Never getting that image out of my head." With a slight nod, he sighed. "Yeah I need to get laid bad. Either that or I need to just stick to clients who are fat, balding, old men who smell bad." The sound of quiet footfalls brought him out of his reverie and he sat up slowly. She'd returned wearing a pair of jeans and an oversized sweatshirt with the San Francisco 49ers logo on it. She cleared her throat softly to break the silence. "Would you like anything to drink? Eat? I have tea, coffee, and plenty of things to make a sandwich with." He stood and gave her a slight shake of his head. "Nah I'm fine. I've got things to do to make sure this place is secure. Too many ways a man like Naraku can strike to count. I don't need to be any more unprepared than I already am." Her eyes widened in surprise at the confession. He was unprepared? How must he imagine she felt? Never had anything like this happened to her! This was more like a plot to one of her books, not her real life! "Um.. Inuyasha? May I ask you something?" Turning he looked at her, his golden eyes appraising her slight form. She looked scared to death. So small and so unbelievably sexy in that oversized shirt. His natural instinct to protect had kicked into overdrive and he found it difficult to concentrate. "Inuyasha? Earth to Inuyasha! Do I need to throw another coffee mug at you?" He cleared his throat and shook his head as if he was trying to clear himself from a daze. "Yeah wench what the hell do you want now?" It came out far gruffer than he'd intended and he watched her seem to shrink back. "Well excuse ME, you asshole. I was just going to ask you if you needed help, but I can see my politeness isn't welcome! God! God you are such an asshole! Maybe I do need to throw another coffee mug at you! Maybe this time I'll actually HIT your rather large head!" She turned in a huff and stomped her way into the kitchen. The slamming of cabinets and the muttering of curse words filtered their way back to him and he sighed. He'd give her a moment to cool down before trying to approach her again. She seemed the sort to need space when she was pissed. He had to admit her temper was kinda cute. Her face would get all red and it would make her brown eyes darken to an almost mocha color. In a word it was beautiful.

While she rattled and stomped her way around the kitchen he walked over to where he'd dropped his gear and knelt down to unzip the duffle. He had to admit using his typical means to actually protect rather than observe wasn't what he was used to, but he'd find a way to make it work. He promised himself he'd make it right for her and he was a man of his word. As he busied himself prepping she emerged from the kitchen with a steaming mug of tea cupped between her hands. She curled herself into the overstuffed armchair and blew gently across the rim of the mug before taking a small sip. Tea always relaxed her and given the situation at hand relaxing might be the only way she'd survive this insane interruption. She watched him as he pulled various things from his bag, recognizing a few while others looked completely foreign. It wasn't until he pulled out a holstered gun that she gasped. "What are you doing with that! You can't have that! I.. I.. no! Just no!" He raised his head and met her startled face with a glare. "You've got to be joking, bitch! You are going to sit and tell me I can't have my gun? Did I forget to mention Naraku will be carrying one? Do you think he's going to follow your stupid ASS rule about no guns? This isn't high school, sweetheart. This is real and I'm not about to walk into a gunfight carrying a fucking knife! Get your prissy head out of your uptight ass and stop worrying. It's not like I'm gonna shoot you." The mug slipped from her hands and crashed to the floor. She choked out a sob and sprung from the chair, hurrying for the safety of her bedroom. Before she could make it from the room she felt a strong hand on her upper arm stopping her and spinning her back around. "What the fuck?! What the fuck's the matter with you, wench? Look I didn't mean to scare you, but you can't be that naive! How do you think I meant to protect you? Sorry this isn't medieval times. I can't carry around a sword or something stupid like that." She struggled with his firm grip as she jerked herself, trying to free her arm. "Let GO! Just… just let go and go! Get out! Guns and murder and crazy men and YOU! It's all too much!" She felt herself break and she sagged, her knees giving way. She'd have fallen to the floor if not for his grip. "Shit.. shit Kagome, I'm sorry." He gathered her up and swung her off her feet into his arms bridal style and carried her to the sofa. He sat down, cradling her in his arms. He just held her close as she sobbed it all out. He wondered when this was going to happen. For all her fire and spunk he knew she was terrified and he knew the magnitude of the situation would hit her sooner or later. Really hit her. He reached up with a clawed hand and gently brushed her hair from her face as he shushed her. "It's okay to be scared, Kagome. I told you I'd protect you and I meant it. I'll protect you with my life. I'm sorry I dragged you into this and if you'll just.. just believe in me I'll fix it. I promise. You won't ever have to be scared again."

She slowly stopped crying, her sobs only a mere hiccup or two. She raised her head from his chest and looked up at him. Her tear stained face kicked him in the gut hard. He brushed the remaining tears from her cheek with a delicate brush of his thumb. "I'm scared, Inuyasha. I.. I don't want to die. I don't want to die because someone believes me to be someone I'm not." He moaned inwardly and gathered her back to his chest, his chin resting atop her head. "I'm not letting you die, wench. You've got my word on that. No way in hell that fucker is going to touch you." He felt her wrap her arms around him and squeeze him tightly. He bit the inside of his jaw to quiet the moan that threatened to escape. She felt so good against him! Her softness wrapped around his hardened form. It was like she was made for him. When this was over he wasn't sure he'd be able to let her go. And that scared him more than Naraku ever could.

Outside the tidy little bungalow sat a dark luxury sedan. In the front a man in a dark suit held binoculars to his eyes while the dangerous, distinguished man sat in the back, absently brushing invisible dust from his immaculate suit. "You were right, Mr. Naraku. That mutt PI is in there with her. Looks like they're getting a bit cozy. Not sure this is what you paid him to find her for." A sinister smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he laughed softly. "Oh Inuyasha. You were trying to lie to me so you could keep Kikyo for yourself. It's almost… amusing, really. It looks as though I need to make myself known sooner rather than later. Kouga, let's return to the hotel for now. I have a few matters to attend to before I crush that pathetic half breed and reclaim what's rightfully mine." Kouga nodded and put the car into drive and the two slipped into the darkness of the night. "Soon Kikyo. So very soon I'll have you. And once I have you I'll have everything."


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: **Hello lovely readers! I'm back with another chapter! I apologize once more for the delay in updates, but things are a bit crazy for me! I will try to update quicker if at all possible! Thank you for sticking with me and with the story!

**Disclaimer: **I'm very sorry to say I do not own Inuyasha no matter how much I would love to! That honor goes to Rumiko Takahashi and her alone. I make no profit from my stories or my ideas. I am simply borrowing her wonderful creations to tell my story!

**A Life Less Ordinary**

**Chapter Eight: Straight Out of the Pan and Into the Fire**

Inside the car Naraku sat back against the leather seat a frown marring his otherwise handsome face. To say he was displeased in the turn of events would have been an understatement. When he hired that idiot half-breed he had no idea the fool would actually go behind his back to steal Kikyo! Who did he think he was? He let out soft growl under his breath and clenched his fist in anger. "Sir? Is there anything I can do for you? I'd be happy to take care of the mutt. Teach him a thing or two about messing with what isn't his." Kouga's hands tightened on the steering wheel, anxious to get his hands on that mutt's throat. "Easy Kouga. All in good time. Rest assured you will have your opportunity. You can play with the half breed while I escort the lovely Kikyo back to my side." Kouga grinned at Naraku in the mirror. Just what he wanted to hear. He hadn't had a chance to play in awhile. It was long overdue. Inuyasha would be the perfect target. He'd never see it coming.

Back at the little bungalow Kagome had fallen asleep in Inuyasha's lap after her little breakdown. He lightly brushed a strand of her hair from her face with his claw, taking care not to scratch her. He couldn't believe he'd managed to fuck things up this badly. This poor kid didn't deserve any of the trouble he'd laid at her doorstep. To top it off he was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to just walk away after the job was over and done either. As he looked down at her sleeping face he couldn't help but sigh. She really did look just like the Kikyo broad, but when he really looked at her he found Kagome to be more beautiful. There was softness about her. A gentle nature captured in her eyes, which Kikyo never had. He knew he was in danger of falling for her and he knew there was no way he could let that happen. Guys like him didn't have girls like Kagome falling for them. She was all class and all sweetness. He was way too rough around the edges to ever fit with her. As his thoughts continued to race around in his head Kagome softly moaned in her sleep, turning and curling into his chest snugly. He stifled a groan and tightened his hold on her before standing with her in his arms. He carried the sleeping girl down the hall and into her bedroom.

Laying her down on the bed he gently pulled the covers back and tucked her beneath them before pulling them up and over her. He leaned down and placed a light kiss to her forehead before retreating to the door. He turned and glanced back one last time before ducking out of the room and returning to the living room. He hoped she'd just sleep. She'd already had enough excitement for one day. Bad thing was it was just the tip of the iceberg. He knew it was going to only get worse. He hoped he could protect her enough to keep her from being hurt. With a frustrated sigh he made a final check of the front and back doors, making sure they were securely locked, before walking back to the sofa and flopping himself down. It wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but there was no way in hell he was going to share her bed. He did have his limits after all! Grabbing a throw pillow from the opposite end of the sofa, he gave it a punch or two before wedging it behind his head. It wasn't long before he too drifted off to sleep. The night passed and soon the morning's light was filtering through the curtains and into the living room. Inuyasha stirred and let out a soft moan, reaching for the back of his neck. Sitting up he turned and glanced back toward her bedroom. There were no obvious sounds that she'd woken up yet so he slid off the sofa and walked into the kitchen. Fumbling around he found the kettle and two mugs she hadn't hurled at his head. Putting water on to boil he placed the tea bags into the mugs and waited. After the telltale whistle of the kettle he poured the boiling liquid into the mugs and allowed the tea to steep for a few moments before placing one of the mugs on a saucer. Locating the creamer and sugar he lined the things up on a small tray he'd found by the refrigerator and headed down the hall. Balancing the tray on one hand he lightly knocked with the other on her partially shut door. "Kagome? Hey wench you awake yet?" There came no reply and he slowly pushed the door open to find a man seated on her bed a lock of her hair between his fingers. His eyes narrowed and he growled softly. "Don't touch her. How the fuck did you get in here? I'm guessing Naraku sent you?" Kouga turned and sent Inuyasha a chilling smile. "Well mutt it looks like you aren't as stupid as you look. Yes Naraku sent me to pay you a little visit. Wanted me to kindly 'remind' you he's paying you to find Kikyo, not fuck her. Just in case you forgot." Kouga slid off her bed silently, but bent and placed a kiss against her temple before righting himself. "It's a good thing she's such a heavy sleeper. I would hate for her to wake up and see us fighting. It would probably scare the poor little thing." Inuyasha snorted and thought long and hard about picking up the mug and hurling it, tea and all, right at the bastard's smug face. "Yeah.. yeah. Great for who, asshole? Why don't you get the fuck out of her home and if you really want to go a few rounds I'll be happy to. Let's just step outside, huh?" Kouga laughed and crossed the room where he stopped right in front of Inuyasha. The two were just about of equal height, but Kouga was slightly broader in the shoulder. Inuyasha had seen bigger and there was no way in hell he would be scared of this piece of shit.

"Cute mutt. Very cute. Are you worried about the boss's little treasure? Fallen for her yourself? Want to make sure she stays all safe? And you call yourself a professional. Professional fuck up, maybe." Inuyasha had had enough and with a ferocious growl he swung the tray, items and all, right at Kouga's head. The mug crashed to the floor while Kouga ducked the creamer as it slammed into the wall behind his head. The crashing ceramic caused Kagome to jerk up from the bed, eyes wide in shock. She saw Inuyasha and then took notice of the stranger in her room and she let out a blood-curdling scream. Kouga sprung into action, his large hand wrapping around her mouth stifling her screams. Inuyasha froze as the look in Kouga's eye chilled him. "Oh look at that, Kikyo. Looks like the mutt's learned a few tricks after all. He knows just how easy it would be for me to snap your pretty little neck if he tried anything stupid." Kagome's eyes widened and she reached up and dug her nails into the back of Kouga's hand, drawing blood.

"FUCKING bitch! You bitch! You're going to pay for that! I don't give a fuck if Naraku wants you in one piece or not!" The blood dripped down his hand onto her bed. She took a chance and tried to scramble from the covers, but Kouga grabbed her ankle and jerked her back. She fell back with a squeal. She kicked her foot, trying to free it from his grip. "I'm not Kikyo! I'm not the one you're looking for! Why can't you leave me alone!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as Kouga jerked her hard pulling her from the bed. Her head collided with the bedside table and her whole body slumped to the floor in an untidy heap. Inuyasha leapt across the bed, tackling Kouga by the throat and slammed him to the floor. "You bastard! You fucking BASTARD! She told you she wasn't Kikyo! Didn't you fucking hear her!?" He began to punch Kouga one after the other, the sounds of bones in his face cracking with each blow. Blood gushed from his broken nose and his vision began to blur as Inuyasha kept right on punching.

Behind the two the sound of clapping was heard. Inuyasha's fist froze in mid punch as he turned and looked over his shoulder as Naraku stood in the doorway of the bedroom wearing a sick smile. "Oh my. Kouga when I told you to take care of things I really had no idea it would be done so messily! Why my dear Inuyasha what a pleasant surprise. You are certainly the last person I expected to find standing in my Kikyo's bedroom. I didn't realize your services covered fucking your clients' missing girlfriends when tasked with finding them." Inuyasha lowered his fist and stepped away from Kouga's prone, bloody body. He cast a worried glance at Kagome who was still out cold on the floor by the bed. He cleared his throat softly and looked at Naraku. "Look Naraku. You've got it all wrong. I had it wrong. The girl there isn't Kikyo. In some weird ass twist she happens to look just like her, but it ain't her! Believe me I'm positive. Why can't you just go and let me get her to the hospital. She might really be hurt." Naraku seemed to weight what Inuyasha had said for a moment before breaking into a sick smile. "Oh this is too funny. The half-breed is trying sell me on this not being Kikyo. He finds my girlfriend, my beloved girlfriend, and when he falls for her himself he lies to me. Kouga why don't you show the gentleman what happens to those who lie to me?"

On the floor by the bed Kagome slowly began to stir. Her head felt as though someone were playing the 1812 Overture inside of it. She let out a whimpering moan and tried to sit up, only to be overcome with a wave of dizziness. Naraku saw she had begun to try to sit up and he walked around the bed, between Kouga and Inuyasha, and bent to scoop Kagome off the floor. "Come my dear. We do not need to be here for this. Such unpleasantries will leave you with bad dreams. I'll take you to the hotel and then we can get you all cleaned up." He placed a sick kiss against her temple and Inuyasha was sure he felt his heart plummet into his stomach, bile rising in his throat. "I'm telling you Naraku. That is NOT Kikyo. Why won't you believe me! Dammit to hell! I'm not lying! Just please let her go. You just have to let her go. She's got no part in this! Give me more time and I'll find Kikyo for you. The real Kikyo!" Naraku nodded lightly in Kouga's direction. The sound of the hammer of a gun being cocked was the only sound heard in the room. Kouga grinned sadistically as Naraku stepped from the bedroom carrying a still woozy Kagome with him. Over his shoulder he called back.. "Time's up, Inuyasha."


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: **Hello again! Just letting you know another chapter of A Life Less Ordinary is on the way! I have to warn you, however, due to summer being upon us I'm going to be much busier than normal and I want to give fair warning updates might be father apart. BUT..but have no fear. I will finish the story! You'll just have to be a touch patient with me! :o) Now without further adieu, on with the story!

**Disclaimer:** Naturally I've said this eight other times, but I do not own Inuyasha or his friends. That honor goes to Rumiko Takahashi! I make no profit from my crazy little story. It's told simply because I love writing and I love Inuyasha!

**A Life Less Ordinary**

**Chapter Nine: Caught in the Spider's Web**

"Time's up, Inuyasha." The gun was pointed right at his forehead. He was looking right down the barrel and all he could think about was Kagome. That insane bastard had her now and there was no telling what he would do to her, especially once he found out she really wasn't Kikyo. Kouga smirked and playfully waved the gun around hoping to break Inuyasha out of his silence. "What's the matter, Mutt? No snarky retort? No curse? No 'fuck you'? I'm disappointed. I would have thought you'd opened that big mouth of yours by now." He laughed and Inuyasha just clenched his fists, forcing himself to remain calm. It was not the time to lose his head. Not with trigger happy Kouga standing there in front of him. "Kouga look. I was telling Naraku the truth. That girl isn't Kikyo. I don't know how the hell I confused her for Naraku's bimbo, but I'm serious. That girl isn't who he believes her to be. Look at me, Kouga. You know I'm not lying." Kouga rolled his eyes and let out a snort. "Oh right, Mutt. Sure. Look I get it. She's hot. You've been trailing her and I'm sure you've gotten plenty of time to see all you want to see of her. Naturally you're gonna be all hard up for her. But boss man wants his girl back and that didn't mean he wanted her back after she'd fucked you. You're the one who fucked up. Falling for the one girl you can't have. Now it's up to me to take care of you and your mess. I don't want to be on Naraku's bad side." Inuyasha sighed and put his hands up in resignation. At this point he was rapidly running out of options. The longer this idiot kept him occupied the farther away Naraku was getting with Kagome. He had no idea where he would have taken her, either. Intuition said he would have booked the nicest room at the fanciest hotel in town, so that was something to go on at the very least. "Kouga I don't have time to waste standing here bullshitting with an idiot. Get the fuck out of my way or I'm going to shove that gun right up your ass and blow your brains out!" Kouga barely had time to bring the gun back up before Inuyasha launched himself across the room and into Kouga's midsection. He let out a grunt of pain as Inuyasha tackled him, the two colliding with the wall. Photographs fell from the wall, their glass frames shattering to the floor. The two wrestled, grunting and muttering expletives, with Inuyasha finally getting the upper hand. With his knee at Kouga's throat, slowly cutting off his air, he reached over and wrenched the gun from Kouga's grip. He ejected the clip and threw it across the room. "ENOUGH! Dammit you are a stupid fucking pain in the ass! You've wasted enough of my time. As much as I'd love to beat the ever-loving shit out of your face right now I don't have time. Consider this a rain check, bastard. I owe you an ass kicking for hurting Kagome." He reached back and with one punch connected with Kouga's jaw. The wolf demon let out a moan before falling unconscious beneath him. He leapt from Kouga's prone body and hurried out of the bungalow, hoping like hell to pick up Naraku's trail.

Kagome let out a whimper and reached tenderly for her temple. She felt the growing bump and winced as her fingertips brushed against it. As her vision came into focus she realized she was no longer in her bedroom at the bungalow. Now she was curled on an oversized bed with pristine linens in a massive bedroom. It looked like a hotel, one far nicer than she'd ever stayed in. She slid herself to the edge of the bed and placed her feet on the floor. She made to stand, but a wave of dizziness swept over her and she collapsed back onto the bed. "Ow my head! What.. what happened? Where am I?" About the time she'd asked herself that the bedroom door opened and a dark haired man entered the room carrying a glass and bottle of medicine. She'd never seen the man before and she was feeling more than a little frightened being in the bedroom of a stranger. The dark haired man sent her a chilling smile as he approached her side of the bed, taking a moment to set both the pill bottle and the glass on the table beside the bed. "Ah my dear you're awake at last. I admit I was beginning to become concerned. That was quite the nasty hit you took to your head. I must remind Kouga upon his return that is not the way you handle my lady." Kagome blinked softly, clearly confused. "Your.. lady? You'll have to forgive me sir, but I don't have any idea who you are. I can attest we've never met. I would have remembered." Naraku laughed softly, but something about that laugh chilled Kagome to the bone. "Come now Kikyo. I know you hit your head, but it certainly wasn't hard enough to produce amnesia. Stop with the nonsense and get undressed. I'll draw you a bath and after we can have a bite to eat. I'm betting you're rather famished." Kikyo. There was that name again. This made the third person to believe her to be someone she wasn't! What was it about this Kikyo person! What made her so special!? Ugh. Men. "Look… Mister.. whatever your name is I'm being serious. I don't know who Kikyo is and I don't know who you are. Couldn't you simply let me go back home to my bungalow?"

Naraku's mouth turned into a frown and he sighed almost angrily. "Look Kikyo I told you. I'm not in the mood to play your stupid games. You know perfectly well who I am. Stop your nonsense, get the fuck into the bathroom and clean up, then come back out here and we'll have dinner. I will not ask you again." She blinked softly and swallowed a lump at the back of her throat. It was clear this man wasn't one to make angry. Slowly she slid herself from the bed once again and carefully padded her way to the bathroom. "Do you have any clothes I can change into once I'm done with the bath? I'm afraid I left all of mine back at ho.. I mean.. I left them in my room. My room at the hotel." _'Good girl, Kagome. Play along and keep Mister Insane nice and calm. If he wants Kikyo then I guess it can't hurt to be Kikyo for a few. At least until I can get him to let his guard down. God I hope Inuyasha's on the way. I'm scared and I wish he was here.'_ Naraku's frown quickly turned upward into a scary little smile as he pressed his hand against the small of her back as he ushered her past the bathroom door threshold. "Of course my darling. Your clothes are in the closet. I'll allow you to bathe and dress in peace. I'll be waiting in the other room. Is room service acceptable? I will have it waiting for you when you're done." She nodded woodenly and disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her with a click.

Leaning against the shut bathroom door Kagome slowly slid to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest. What had she gotten herself into? This must be the Naraku guy Inuyasha had told her about. The crazy guy who wanted Kikyo back. Kikyo, his girlfriend, who happened to be Kagome's twin. What in the hell was going to happen once he found out she wasn't Kikyo? Would he kill her? Inuyasha seemed to think he would. Tears began to pool in the corners of her eyes before one broke and slid down her cheek. "I am so screwed. Inuyasha, where are you?! I.. I really wish you were here! I wish I'd listened. You tried to tell me this Naraku was dangerous. I just had to be all-clever. Note to self. Stop being clever and just listen from now on out." She would have laughed had she not been so terrified. Pulling off her dirty clothes she piled them by the toilet and stepped gingerly into the tub. The water was hot, but not scorching. She let out a whimper of pleasure as she slid herself down to where her chin was touching the top of the water. She was scared yes, but at least the bath was nice!

Inuyasha jerked the cell phone from his bag and started jabbing buttons on the touchscreen. The phone began to ring and he angrily banged his fist on the steering wheel as he waited. Finally after more than several rings a male voice picked up. _**"Inuyasha? What the hell, man? I thought I told you I was on my honeymoon! What do you want that can't wait?"**_ Inuyasha ran a hand through his silver hair impatiently and let out a sigh. "Look Miroku, I wouldn't have called unless it was serious. And believe me, it's serious. I need a favor. A.. computer based favor." _**"What kind of favor, man? The illegal kind, perchance? I told you I'd given up that shit. Sango will have my ass if I get involved in something illegal again! I've only been married a day, man. I didn't want to get divorced!"**_ "Miroku it isn't illegal. I just need you to search for a name to see if they're registered at any hotels in or around San Francisco, California." There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Miroku, man I wouldn't even ask if this wasn't a matter of life and death! I don't have time to explain everything. Just trust me, okay? Somebody's in deep shit and it's my fault. I've got to find them!" A sigh finally sounded on the other end and Inuyasha silently said a prayer of thanks. He knew that sigh well enough to know Miroku would help. He meant what he said, though. He wouldn't have interrupted him on his honeymoon, but Miroku Houshi was the best hacker in the business. He also happened to be one of Inuyasha's oldest friends. _**"Fine asshole, but you owe me. Who's name am I looking for on hotel registers?" **_"Thank you, man. Seriously thank you. I do owe you bigtime. I need to know if a Naraku Onigumo has checked into any hotels in or around San Francisco. Oh and tell Sango I said hello." _**"I heard that, Inuyasha! Don't you try to kiss my ass. You know I don't want Miroku involved in any of your stupid shit! Especially while he's on his honeymoon! I swear you take advantage of him!" **_The angry female voice sounded a bit distant, but he knew she'd heard it all and now she was pissed. Great. Another woman mad as hell at him. This had to be an all time low. "Sango I told him it was important! I wouldn't have asked if someone wasn't really in trouble. Please… fuck… I'm begging here, please let Miroku do this one thing for me and then I promise he's all yours. You guys can go screw until you pass out!" He heard the cursing from there, knowing Sango's face was redder than hell. He didn't care, though. The two were like family and he loved embarrassing her. _**"Oh thanks SO much, Inuyasha! Now she's madder than before! God.. why do I put up with you and your shit, anyway?" **_Inuyasha laughed and shook his head with amusement. "Cause you love me, man. And cause you wouldn't have met your lovely wife there if it wasn't for me! Maybe this is me saying you owe me!" _**"Fine.. whatever. I'll be in touch. This might take a couple hours. With nothing much but a name to go on I've got a lot of hotels to check over. I'll call you as soon as I know something. And Inuyasha? Try to relax, okay? You'll fix all this. I know you will. You've not failed a client yet." **_Inuyasha closed his eyes and allowed himself to lean back against the seat of his rental car. "Thanks man. I.. fuck I hope you're right. This one's much more than just a client." Hanging up so Miroku could get to work Inuyasha cranked the car and pulled away from Kagome's bungalow. This was going to be the longest wait of his life. All sorts of fucked up things were running through his mind with Kagome in Naraku's hands. There was no telling what that asshole was doing to her.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:** I'm back with another chapter! Hopefully people are still reading because I am enjoying writing this story! I know the updates have been sparse lately and I do apologize, but summer is my busy time and I won't be able to update as often as before. I hope that doesn't upset anyone. I enjoy having loyal readers who share their feedback with me! I also realized I erred by making Miroku's wife "Sango", so in this chapter I have changed her name to Yari to avoid confusion with Sango being Kagome's editor!

**Disclaimer:** Naturally I'm here to remind you once more my lack of ownership with regards to Inuyasha. Naturally I would love it if he were real and all that and if I could.. borrow him that'd be great too! Anyway, thank you Ms. Takahashi for allowing me to put your amazing creations into my meager story!

**A Life Less Ordinary**

**Chapter Ten: Dinner and a Show**

There came another knock at the bathroom door and Kagome stifled a groan of frustration. This guy was some kind of obsessed! She knew she was taking her time, but where was she going to go? It wasn't like she could flush herself down the toilet! The crazy man needed to lighten up. If he was this possessive no wonder this Kikyo lady ran away. She could see the benefits of getting away from Mister Nutcase. "Kikyo darling the room service is on its way up. I asked you to hurry yet you're keeping me waiting. Don't make me lose my patience. You know how I am when I lose my patience." Kagome rolled her eyes as she hung the oversized towel back on the rack. "Oh.. yes of course..dear. I.. I will be right out. Was just hanging up the towel. I assumed you didn't wish for a messy bathroom." _'Cause you're a complete psycho, no doubt! Making a mess seems like something you'd go nuts over. Definitely!' _Kagome finally cracked the door open and walked into the lavish bedroom. He'd said her clothes were in the closet. She felt strange putting on someone else's clothing, but she was left with little option. This man still expected her to be Kikyo and dressing like her would certainly foster the illusion. Pulling open the door she peered inside at the array of colors greeting her. _'Sweet baby Jesus this woman dresses like a slut! How embarrassing! There was more material on my school uniform skirt than this!' _She sighed and sifted through the hanging garments, finally setting on a sleek black dress with a low cut back. _'Thankfully the front is at least covered! Insane guy doesn't need a free peep show!'_ Dressing with a touch of haste she completed the look with a pair of black satin pumps she found in the bottom of the closet. Seating herself at the mirror she began to fiddle with her hair, arranging it what she hoped passed for Kikyo's style. At last she emerged from the bedroom, her eyes scanning the room for the food and the nut. Sadly all she saw for the moment was the nut.

In his sedan Inuyasha was about ready to pull his hair out, strand by silver strand. Miroku had promised he would find Naraku, but it had been a couple hours and he'd heard nothing! He gripped the steering wheel anxiously, twisting his hands on the wheel long enough for them to begin to burn. "Fuck Miroku! You said a couple hours! It feels like a couple weeks! HURRY the fuck up already! How many damn hotels are there around here anyway?" He was just about to angrily slam his fists against the dashboard when his cell phone began to buzz. Jerking it up from the car's console he pressed the button to answer and before Miroku even had a chance to speak, Inuyasha was screaming at him. "It's about fucking time, man! I thought you were the best! I NEED to find the bastard now! Not two days from now!" A chuckle sounded from the other end of the line and Inuyasha could imagine the face he was receiving. _**"Well you're welcome, asshole. I told you it would take a couple hours! There are over one hundred and fifty luxury hotels in this area for your information!" **_Inuyasha winced and pinched the bridge of his nose as he choked out an apology. "Sorry man. I know you were doing your best and working as fast as you could, but it's just I'm worried about this girl. I can't help it." Miroku began to outright laugh at his confession and Inuyasha growled under his breath. "Oh fuck you asshole. Shut the hell up and just tell me you know where that fucker is." _**"Relax asshole. I told you I'd find him and I did. He's staying at the Four Seasons Silicon Valley, Presidential Suite 2." **_Inuyasha sighed softly and rested his head on the steering wheel. That wasn't too far. He could make it there before it got dark. He was finally one step closer to getting to Kagome and getting her away from Naraku. Thanking Miroku once more and promising to bring Yari something nice for ruining their honeymoon Inuyasha hung up and threw the cell phone into the passenger seat. He thanked whatever nerd had added GPS to the car and after a moment had the directions to the Four Seasons all set. He slammed the car into drive and pulled away in the direction of the hotel.

"Don't you look lovely? There isn't that much better, darling?" His voice startled her and with a gasp she whirled around and stared at him with wide eyes. "I.. yeah.. the bath. It was nice. And thank you for.. um.. for hanging up my clothes. I appreciate it." Kagome felt her hands tremble and she squeezed them into small fists and held them by her side. Why couldn't the food be here! That would mean less small talk with Mister Insane. "Darling Kikyo you know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. Having a new wardrobe sent for you to enjoy is a small matter. Please, have a seat and I'll pour you a glass of champagne." Naraku gestured to the chair out on the balcony and she walked hesitantly over to it and sat down. "Th..thank you. That's really nice of you." Naraku raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as he poured a flute of champagne for her and one for himself. His fingers brushed lightly against hers as he handed her the glass. She sucked in a breath as her face went a touch white. "Kikyo darling the food should be here momentarily, but before we eat I wanted to make sure you had the papers and the flash drive with you. I would hate if you'd misplaced them. You know how important they are to me." Papers? A flash drive? What would this guy want those for?

Inuyasha was flying. Well not literally, but if the car had wings the speed with which he was driving, it was certain to have lifted off the road by now. Traffic was not doing him favors as he raced toward the Four Seasons hotel. He knew he needed to make it there soon so he could sneak in and hopefully have Kagome out without causing too much of a scene. After about twenty minutes the traffic parted and he finally made progress. In another ten minutes he was sitting a block away from the hotel. He knew he couldn't just walk in there and ask to speak to Naraku. That would be suicide. No this would require a bit of stealth. He climbed from the car and made his way around the back of the hotel, searching for a rear entrance. As luck would have it he located a door which appeared to be a service entrance. This was perfect! Using his demon strength he was able to break the lock on the door and slip inside unnoticed. Once inside he found himself near the hotel laundry and the kitchen. He found an apron lying on a nearby counter and tugged that on, locating a chef hat in order to tuck his long, silver hair into. He tried hard to blend in with the kitchen staff, hoping to duck out into the hotel lobby when all of a sudden he overheard something very interesting. "Chef Lawrence! Chef Lawrence! This order is for Mister Onigumo in the Presidential Suite! It had better be correct. He's a very important guest and I would hate to anger him!" The maître d buzzed around the kitchen for another moment before disappearing back into the hotel restaurant while the chef was left frowning at the order. "Leave it to a pretentious ass to order THIS." With a clap of his hands his staff began flying around the kitchen, busy preparing Naraku's room service order. Inuyasha grinned. '_Perfect! I can snag this cart, wheel it up to the Presidential Suite, and slip in completely unnoticed! Hopefully she's in there and I can pull her out with minimal problems. Naraku's not dumb. Maybe I can explain to him and he'll just let her go. Yeah, right. Not likely. You know he's a bastard. He'll make problems for you and you know damn well there could be a chance Kagome could be hurt. You'll still have to be very careful!' _Inuyasha noticed the order was being placed on the tray and he dashed in, knocking the waiter aside. "Hey I've got this. I can take the cart up to Nara.. I mean.. Mister Onigumo. It would be my..ahem..pleasure." And without any further argument he had the cart and was pushing it toward the elevator.

Kagome sat perched on the very edge of her chair. She glanced over at her dinner partner and found him watching her closely. She felt as though he were devouring her piece by piece with those steely eyes. She swallowed and turned to glance out the balcony window. "Kikyo darling I'm serious. I want business out of the way so we can focus on the pleasure part of our evening." His voice, breaking the silence, caused her to jump and she looked back at him before swallowing nervously. "Sir I.. please. I don't have any papers or flash drive. I.. I was in such a hurry earlier I simply forgot them back at my bungalow. I didn't realize they were so.. so important. I do apologize." Naraku's eyes narrowed and he leaned across the table, his hand reaching for hers. Enclosing her own in his massive hand he began to squeeze forcefully and she cried out softly in pain. "I told you, darling. NO more games. I really didn't want to do this the hard way, but you're leaving me little choice. I do so hate it when you disobey me." He jerked her from her seat to her feet. With his free hand he brought it to rest at her throat. His eyes began to darken as the force of his grip on her throat began to tighten. She reached up with her free hand and clawed desperately to loosen his grip, but she began to choke and cough. "Please! Please stop! I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen!" Her air was being cut off and tears were pooling in the corners of her eyes as the room began to grow dim. Naraku was about to squeeze one last time when a knock came at the door. "Room Service for Onigumo, Naraku." Naraku swore beneath his breath and dropped his hand from Kagome's neck. She dropped to the floor in an inelegant heap. She coughed softly as she reached up to rub her sore neck. "Come in, please. I'll direct you where to leave the tray."

Inuyasha heard his voice and he also heard the coughing and the tearful pleas coming from inside. Kagome was in trouble! His blood began to boil with anger and he gripped the cart handle hard enough to bend it. Naraku opened the suite door and he pushed the cart inside over to the table by the balcony. "Right there is fine. Thank you. I will not require anything further. You are free to leave." Naraku didn't take his eyes off Kagome. It was if he were daring her to say a word to this hotel worker. She kept her eyes down, feeling the tears leak down her cheeks and splash softly onto her dress. "Are you certain, Sir? It appears your companion here is sick. May I send the hotel doctor up to check on her?" Inuyasha watched as Naraku's jaw tensed and his teeth gnashed together. "She is FINE. I do not require any doctor. All I need is for you to leave so my lady and I may enjoy our dinner in peace." Inuyasha knew he couldn't make a move, but he also knew he could pretend to leave and simply duck into the bedroom and wait until there was an opportunity to get her out safely. He nodded and in a clear voice, spoke at her, hoping she would understand the meaning. "As you wish, Sir. Hopefully she'll shut up and just let you protect her." Kagome jerked her head up when she heard those words. Her eyes widened in shock, but she said nothing and made no move toward him. If he didn't want to try to get her out right now there must be a reason. She would play his game and she would wait for him to make his move. Her mind began rushing with happiness as she struggled not to rush over and throw herself at his hard, warm chest. _'He came! Inuyasha came! He found me and now he's going to get me out of here! I knew it! I knew I could count on him. I've never been so glad to see someone in my whole life! I've just got to hold it together… make it long enough to where Inuyasha can put together his plan to get us out of here!'_

"Kikyo darling please pick yourself up and be seated. You are embarrassing me." Kagome nodded softly and slowly stood up before walking over to the table to sit. Inuyasha took the opportunity to duck out and slip into the unused bedroom. He shut the door and remained in darkness to wait while Kagome dined with that psychopath. Time passed and the sounds of eating and quiet conversation filled his senses as he stood against the wall waiting patiently. He felt himself begin to doze off when Kagome's soft voice filled him with anticipation. "Naraku sir may I be excused? I would love to slip into something a bit… more comfortable." Naraku grinned softly. This was what he'd waited for. If she didn't have the papers he would certainly love punishing her while enjoying himself. "Of course darling. I'll wait here for a moment then join you myself. I believe it's time for dessert." Kagome shuddered with revulsion. This was one dessert she wasn't interested in savoring. She slid from her chair and hurried her way over to the bedroom. She pulled the door open and ducked into the darkened room. She shut the door and was about to flip on the light when a hand cupped itself over her mouth and she found her back pulled against something warm and solid. "Shhhhhhhh wench you gotta be quiet! We've got to get the fuck out of here before that bastard kills you. I saw that mark on your throat. It took everything I had not to kill him right there for hurting you! Just stay calm and quiet and I'll get you out of this, I promise." She turned in his arms and wrapped herself tightly around him. With her head resting against his chest she nearly broke down with a sob. "I… I knew you would come for me. I believed you wouldn't let him hurt me and here you are! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much! Inuyasha I'm so scared! I… I tried to tell him I wasn't Kikyo, but he wouldn't believe me! He's… He's insane! You know that, right? Completely insane!" Inuyasha nodded softly and kissed the top of her head gently. "I know, wench. I know. I am gonna get you out though. I promised you and I always keep my promises." About that time the bedroom door swung open and Naraku stood there glaring at Kagome in Inuyasha's arms. "Ah. Mister Takahashi I must admit I didn't believe you to be this stupid. Showing up here to steal my girlfriend right under my very nose? My. My. You are brave. You must realize I won't allow it to happen, however. She's mine, what she's hiding is mine, and I'm damn sure you won't see her ever again. Perhaps you should say your goodbyes now?" Naraku pulled a gun from behind his back and aimed it right at Inuyasha's head. Kagome screamed and struggled to pull herself from Inuyasha's grip. "You can't! Please! He's tried to tell you. I've tried to tell you! I'm not Kikyo! You have the wrong girl! He came here to get me away from you before you found out I wasn't Kikyo!" Naraku laughed coldly and pulled the hammer back, cocking the gun. Kagome turned and looked back at Inuyasha, her eyes filling with tears. She shook her head as he reached for her to pull her behind him. This was a matter of a split second decision and as the trigger was pulled she stepped right into the path of the bullet. Inuyasha's scream, Naraku's cry, and the loud pop all filled the silence surrounding her as she fell. She didn't feel a thing once she hit the ground. Everything seemed… so peaceful.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:** Hello loyal readers! I'm back with the next chapter of LLO for you! I hope you are continuing to enjoy reading my crazy little creation and as always I thank you all for your reviews and your feedback!

**Disclaimer:** Naturally I don't own Inuyasha. That honor belongs to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi! I do however enjoy borrowing him for my crazy stories! As mentioned before I make no profit from my stories or ideas. They are simply for fun!

**A Life Less Ordinary**

**Chapter Eleven: The Grass Isn't Always Greener…**

Kikyo stood on the deck of her bungalow peering down the beach at the small house next to her. There had been such noise coming from the home she almost felt compelled to call the police. There was such shouting and what sounded like things breaking that she was certain whomever was inside might have been in trouble. After a bit things seemed to quiet down and she couldn't help but wonder if the occupants were safe. She scolded herself for being such a coward and not going next door to check, but she was trying to keep that low profile. She didn't want to wind up a statistic, after all. She was about to turn back toward the back door when she heard the groaning and not so quiet cursing coming from the house. With a sigh she walked off her back deck and headed down the beach toward the home. Yes. Yes she was going to be the Good Samaritan. She was going to see if anyone needed help or possibly the police.

Inside the bungalow Kouga was struggling to get to his feet. That damn mutt had really laid him out. His jaw felt as though it was broken in about two places, but lucky for him he was a fast healer. He had scraped himself off the floor and onto the bed when he heard a soft knock at the back door and an equally soft voice accompany it. "Hello? I.. heard shouting and things breaking. I live next door and wanted to make certain everyone was safe? Hello?" Kouga drug himself from the bedroom and walked down the small hallway and into the living room. From his view he couldn't see who was at the back door, but he was more than certain given the voice the person was female. With a groan he walked around the corner of the room and into the kitchen. Once inside he had a clear view of the back door and he was certain he nearly dropped dead. Staring back at him were the wide, surprised eyes of Kikyo. The one and only woman the mutt was sent to find. "Holy.. fuck. The mutt was telling the truth. She really wasn't Kikyo."

"Kagome! Oh fuck! Kagome! Why did you do that, you stupid GIRL! Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice was tinged with fear and quite possibly tears he was fighting to keep at bay. When she'd stepped in front of him and taken the bullet all he could do was stare. The stupid girl didn't have to do that! He could have dodged it! His reflexes weren't like others. They were a thousand times better and even if Naraku had been the best shot the likelihood he'd actually HIT him was slim! But there she was, getting in the way and now he had to face facts she could likely be dying right in front of him. "Kagome! Kagome can you hear me? Please! You need to be okay. You really do!" He glanced up at a pale and trembling Naraku, the gun now dropped at his feet. "Don't just stand there you fucking asshole! Call a goddamn ambulance! She's going to DIE if we don't get her help!" Naraku remained frozen so Inuyasha just shoved him out of the way and stalked over to the phone in the hotel suite. Dialing 911 he waited with as much patience as possible until the operator answered. _**"911 what is your emergency?"**_ "A girl.. a girl just got shot! She needs help. Fuck she's bleeding to death! PLEASE just send someone to help her!" _**"Calm down, sir. You say someone has been shot. Can you tell me where you are? I need to know where to send the ambulance." **_"The… the… Four Seasons Silicon Valley! We're at the Four Seasons! I think this is the presidential suite! Hurry the hell up! She needs help now!" _**"Please sir I'm going to ask you to remain on the line while the ambulance is en route. I can assure you it is coming as quickly as possible. Can you tell me what happened? Is there anyone else injured?" **_Inuyasha scoffed and swore under his breath. "Not yet, but I'm not making no promises not to hurt the fucker who shot her. You better hurry the fuck up and get here cause my patience is short." With that he slammed the phone down disconnecting the call. His golden eyes glared at Naraku who was now holding his head in his hand as he sat in a nearby chair. "I didn't mean to… Honestly I did not mean to shoot her! I would never shoot Kikyo! I love her!" Inuyasha grabbed the comforter off the bed and pressed it hard against Kagome's chest. He could see her chest was barely rising and her eyes were shut. If it weren't for the large hole in her he would simply imagine her sleeping.

"Kouga. What are you doing here? I suppose Naraku has sent you to find me?" Kikyo stood rooted to her spot on Kagome's back deck as she and Kouga stared at each other. Moments passed before Kikyo stepped back and made a move to leave the deck. Kouga was out the back door and making a grab for her arm before she could escape. "NO. Wait. Kikyo please. Look I was here to look for you, but it's not what you think! Naraku hired some half-breed PI to find you and well… fuck. He found a girl all right. One who looked just like you. Naraku and I both thought it WAS you. The mutt tried to tell me it wasn't you, but we weren't buying it. What a fucking mess." He raked a hand through his tangle of brown hair and muttered another expletive. "How did this get so fucked? Kikyo were you seriously next door? You've gotta be shitting me. Right next door to a girl who's your fucking twin. And now that girl's in a world of trouble." He reached for Kikyo and pulled her to him, his eyes troubled. "Look babe you've really gotta come with me. We've got to get this shit straightened out before anything bad happens." Kikyo sputtered and began to struggle against Kouga's grip. "Kouga I don't care about some girl! All I care about is getting and staying away from Naraku! You know what kind of man he is! He was trying to kill me before I fled! What do you believe he'll do now?"

Inuyasha kept the pressure on Kagome's chest and it was clear the small girl was running out of time. "Where the fuck is that ambulance? I called fifteen minutes ago!" Naraku had remained in the chair, his face pale. He watched Kagome carefully and with a sigh hung his head. "It really isn't Kikyo, is it? The girl. She just looks like Kikyo. Too much like her." Inuyasha's head jerked up and he pinned Naraku with a deadly gaze. "No fucking shit, asshole. I tried to tell you. I fucking tried to tell you and that stupid wolf you drug along. When I found out this girl wasn't Kikyo I called you immediately, but you couldn't be bothered to listen. All you gave a shit about was yourself. Now this little girl here might die cause you're one big piece of shit." Inuyasha glanced back at Kagome and brushed a strand of her dark hair from her forehead. "I'm gonna make sure you go away for a long time, Naraku. You deserve everything you get for hurting her. Hell you deserve it for trying to kill Kikyo, too. Consider this me telling you to go fuck yourself. You can find Kikyo on your own." At last the door to the suite flung open, a manager standing by the door as the paramedics rushed in. One knelt by Kagome and pushed Inuyasha back. **"Give me room, sir. I need to see what we're dealing with." **Inuyasha reluctantly stepped back and closed his eyes, saying a silent prayer for Kagome to be okay. **"GSW to the upper chest and shoulder. Excessive blood loss. Pulse is weak and thread. Breathing shallow. Victim is beginning to lose consciousness." **The lead paramedic turned to Inuyasha while his partners began to run an IV into Kagome to give her much needed fluids and place an oxygen mask over her face. **"Does anyone know this girl? Any next of kin we can notify?"** Inuyasha swallowed softly, giving him a slight nod. "Her… Her name is Kagome Higurashi. I don't know if she's got family or not. We aren't that close. She's staying at a house over on Golden Palms Road in Santa Monica." The paramedic nodded and looked up right as a police officer entered the room followed by two more paramedics with a stretcher. The officer looked at the paramedics, almost afraid to ask. The silent exchange was one they'd had many times and the lead paramedic shook his head slightly as if to indicate they were unsure if the girl would make it or not. Inuyasha swallowed and stepped forward before they rolled her out on the stretcher. "Where… what… what hospital are you taking her to? I want to go with her." The officer restrained him with a gentle, but firm hand on his shoulder. **"Sir I have a few questions I'd like to ask you before you go. You're going to need to tell me what happened here."**

Kouga was fed up with arguing with her. He gently grabbed her and hauled her down the back stairs and around the house. He deposited her in his car and shut the door. Getting into the car himself he cranked it and turned out of the driveway toward the interstate. It wasn't that far of a drive to Naraku's hotel, but he still wanted to be quick about it. He knew he had the other girl and he figured it was only a matter of time before Naraku figured out he didn't have Kikyo after all. She remained silent on the drive only occasionally glancing over at his profile. He was upset and she knew something was wrong. Maybe she should feel a touch worried for the other girl, but she'd never been much of the selfless type. No she knew her neck was on the line and if she could find a way out of this mess without being seen by Naraku all the better. After a bit Kouga exited the interstate and headed toward the hotel. Once pulling up he found the parking lot full of emergency vehicles and police cars. His heart froze and his stomach sank. "Fuck. This can't be good." Kikyo's eyes were wide with shock as she too felt a drop in her own stomach. "No Kouga I don't believe it's good at all."

The paramedics were wheeling Kagome out of the lobby as the two were entering. Kikyo caught sight of her and she let out an audible gasp. Kouga gripped her arm and steadied her as he watched her stumble. "I told you, Kikyo. Told you she looked like your twin. Now do you see why I had to get you here? It looks like I was too late." They loaded Kagome into the ambulance and took off with the sirens blaring. Back inside the presidential suit Inuyasha and Naraku both looked like they were going to throw up. Inuyasha because he was terrified for Kagome, Naraku because he knew he was about to go to jail. As the police officer began his questioning Inuyasha began to pace. "Look I don't mean to be a dick here, but could we hurry this up? She… Kagome… could be dying and I'm sitting here on my ass telling bedtime stories! The man you want is right there. Naraku Onigumo. He's the one responsible for all this. You can go and arrest him."

Kouga and Kikyo finally made their way up to the presidential suite floor, but were stunned when Inuyasha came barreling out, nearly knocking the two of them down. He didn't notice right away, but as he approached the elevator he stopped and looked back. His eyes widened then narrowed once he saw who was standing in the doorway with Kouga. "Well fuck. You. This is all your fucking fault. Nice of you to show your damn face, Kikyo. You just missed the body being wheeled out of here who happened to be your fucking twin. An innocent girl who might die because your sorry ass wanted to run away and play adventuress. Thanks a heap, bitch. Next time you want to run away from your bastard of a boyfriend pick somewhere else to visit." Kikyo blinked softly and sucked in a stunned breath. Kouga noticed her distress and lightly patted her hand. "Oh shut the fuck up, mutt face. The girl didn't know about your girl. She didn't know she lived beside her damn twin. It was just an accident. A big, unfortunate, accident. You can't get mad at her." Inuyasha slammed his fist on the down button and snorted. "The fuck I can't. This whole fucking mess is cause I had to find her ass. I don't have time for this bullshit now though. I gotta go make sure Kagome doesn't die. You better hope she don't die cause you're just as fucking guilty as Naraku. That girl didn't deserve what happened." Kouga stalked over and grabbed Inuyasha by the front of the shirt and slammed him into the wall beside the elevator. "Hey you shut the fuck up. If it's anyone's fault it's yours, asshole. YOU'RE the one who told Naraku you'd found Kikyo. Only you didn't bother to check to see if it WAS Kikyo or not before you called him! SO you're the one who put that girl in danger! Not us!" Inuyasha struggled and tried to punch Kouga all the while shouting. "SHUT up! Just shut the fuck up! I tried to tell you! I fucking tried to tell you BOTH that she wasn't Kikyo. And she's not just some girl. Her name is KAGOME. KA-GO-ME. Remember it! I sure as fuck will. Now get the hell out of my way." He shoved Kouga hard and he sprawled back nearly colliding with a stunned Kikyo. The elevator door opened and Inuyasha stepped in. The door closed and he disappeared. Kouga let out a breath and walked back over to Kikyo before grabbing her hand and escorting her into the hotel room. The police officer was still questioning Naraku, but it was clear things weren't going well. Kouga cleared his throat and both the officer and Naraku turned. When he spotted who stood beside Kouga, Naraku simply smiled. "My dearest. You came. You finally came back. I missed you so much!" Kikyo rolled her eyes and just shook her head. "No Naraku. No you didn't. You were too busy trying to murder a young girl who happened to look like me. Is that your way of saying you were actually trying to kill me?" Naraku turned a few shades of green as the officer stared at him intently. "Well Mister Onigumo? Is she right? Were you trying to kill this woman?"

Inside his car Inuyasha just sat staring ahead. He had never felt so guilty in his life. Kouga was right. All of this was his fault. He didn't check to see if he was right. Hell he always got his man. There was never any need to check. He was so certain he had the right bitch, but now it was clear just how fucked up everything was. Apparently Kikyo was close by and all this happened because of a really sick twist of fate. There was no way he could show his face at the hospital now. Not knowing just how bad he'd messed up. Kagome wouldn't need him. He should just go back home and forget he ever took this damn job in the first place.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: A profound apology to all those waiting on the next chapter of this story! I have been crazy busy with life and have not had sufficient time to sit down and allow my muse to run wild with this story. I haven't forgotten it! I promise! Here is a long awaited next chapter in the saga of Inuyasha and Kagome! As always; Rumiko Takahashi is the mastermind behind these characters. I am not profiting or gaining anything by borrowing them for my wild imagination! Thank you!

AN Number Two: For those of you who've been reading this story I realize you're probably scratching your heads right now. Chapter 12 had already been posted! Well in my absence I gave a great deal of thought to what I'd written and I decided to revise Chapter 12! I feel this chapter is much more rounded and gives added dimensions to the story! I apologize for any confusion, but sincerely hope you enjoy the new chapter and all further chapters to this story! Thank you!

A Life Less Ordinary

Chapter 12: In Time, This too Shall Pass

Sango glanced across the room at her friend as she lay in the bed pretending to sleep. Receiving the call that Kagome had been shot nearly sent her into a state of panic. On the flight to California all Sango could do was think how Kagome being here was basically her fault. Wasn't she the one who talked her friend into taking the little getaway? Come to the beach and relax, sure! It sounded perfectly safe. Perfectly normal. As things would have it, Kagome's trip to the beach turned into anything but safe and normal! She reached up and massaged her temples, letting out a quiet sigh. Kagome, hearing her friend's sigh of frustration, turned her head and glanced at her. "Sango? You know I'm not asleep. If there's something you want to talk about you know you can." The older woman raised her head slowly and forced something resembling a smile to her face. "Kagome shouldn't you be sleeping? I mean you did get shot and all that. I don't want to keep you awake when you should be resting." Kagome laughed softly and sighed. "Sango yes I got shot, but I'm fine. The doctors all confirm I'm going to live. Besides I've not had anyone to talk with in days! It's nice to sit and chat with you." Kagome didn't want to say anything about Inuyasha to Sango. She had hoped the silver haired dog demon would have taken it upon himself to show up. If not because he liked her, (which she secretly hoped was the case), but at the very least because he wanted to make sure she was safe. Yet days had passed and there'd been no visit. No phone call, either. She wasn't sure what to make of his lack of an appearance. She thought they'd become close. That somehow, between the gunshots and the snarky exchanges, the two had formed a real connection. She was certain she felt something more than merely friendship for him. Had she truly been so far off as to misinterpret his own feelings? She sighed softly and laid her head back on the pillow. Her friend was quick to notice all was not right with Kagome and scooted closer, taking her hand. "Kagome? Kagome there's more going on here and I don't know why you won't tell me. This whole trip you've seemed secretive. That isn't like you. Even when you're not trying to be an open book, you're an open book! I know you. You are a terrible liar. Now spill…"

Sango stared blankly at Kagome. For a moment nothing was said between the two. At last, after a tense silence, Sango simply shook her head. "Kagome you can't be serious! That's the craziest thing I've ever heard! Mistaken for another woman? A woman who a hit has been placed on!? I... I just can't believe it!" Kagome sighed softly and glanced away toward the window. She knew she hadn't told Sango the whole truth, but she didn't want to admit to being a big, giant sap who'd fallen for the guy sent to bring "her" in. Sango would begin one of her rants about men and about how you can't trust them. Naturally this would prompt a reminder from Kagome about Sango's own husband. The one she adored? As Sango's tirade seemed to fade into the background all Kagome could think about was the silver haired half dog demon and those molten gold eyes of his. All she could think about was why he hadn't come to see her. Why he hadn't called. Why, despite his previous interactions with her, he seemed to treat her as being invisible. What had she done? What had she possible done, aside from taking a bullet for him, which would have driven him to ignore her? She felt a tear well up and as she struggled to keep it from falling she noticed Sango had stopped her rant and was now staring at her with a stricken look. "Kagome? Kagome! Kagome what's wrong? And don't you dare tell me nothing! I know you're hiding something. You've always been a poor liar." Kagome sniffled and brushed the tear from her cheek softly. She just shook her head slowly. Sango crossed the room and grabbed her friend's hand gently, giving it a firm squeeze. "Let me guess. And feel free to correct me, okay? There's a man. Somehow a man is involved. A man who you've developed feelings for. Am I right?" Kagome laughed brokenly and closed her eyes for a moment. "Sango I don't know how you do it. It's like you know me better than I know myself." Sango sighed softly and leaned over and kissed the top of her friend's head. "What's his name and where can I find him? I think it's time he came for a visit. I would personally like to meet the man who so easily stole my friend's heart." Kagome paled and shook her head. "No. Sango no. He… I… I don't know where he is. I haven't seen him since I was shot. I don't want to… to make him feel trapped or something. I mean… it's not like we…" Sango held up her hand and stopped Kagome. "No. Don't you do that, Kagome. Don't you try and justify why he's not come to visit you. Or at the very least called! God knows he could have at least picked up the damn phone! No excuses. You tell me his name and if I have to drag his ass in here by the ear I will!" Kagome remained silent, but Sango knew she was breaking apart inside. It was obvious she cared for this jerk and by god she was going to find him and drag his ass here, willingly or not! "Kagome! His name! Please Kagome I'm only doing this for you because I love you! You're like my baby sister and when my sister is hurting I have to fix it." Kagome sighed softly and closed her eyes. A vision of his face appeared as she whispered softly, "Inuyasha. His name is Inuyasha Takahashi."

The jail cell seemed even smaller than it had yesterday. He glanced around at his surroundings for the past four days and stifled an annoyed growl. That fucking Naraku! If it hadn't been for him he wouldn't be rotting in this shit hole! He'd be out there getting on with his damn life. Enjoying the next case. Fucking Naraku! He slammed his hands down on the small bunk bed before jumping up and beginning to pace back and forth. He walked over to the peeling rear wall of his cell and punched as hard as he could, screaming. "FUCKING NARAKU!" He drew back a slightly bloody fist and sighed as a vision with long, silky, black hair danced in front of him. She tsk'd quietly as she shook her head. "Mister Takahashi you probably shouldn't do that often. I don't believe the police will appreciate all the holes you'd put in the wall." Inuyasha snorted and shrugged. "I could give a shit less to be honest. What do you want, Kikyo? Come to gloat?" Kikyo shook her head softly. "No, Mister Takahashi I've not come to gloat. I don't believe you are to blame in this. Naraku hired you and he fed you lies. You were here to do a job and it simply became one big mess. I came because I have just spoken to your brother and I've spoken with the police about your release. I have to confess your brother was more frightening than dealing with the law. He.,. certainly has a way of intimidating a person." Inuyasha smirked before rolling his eyes. "Wow so Mister High and Mighty sullied himself to speak on my behalf? Color me surprised. I'm actually shocked. I figured he'd just say I was where I belong." Kikyo shook her head slightly. "No, not at all. Quite the opposite, really. He seemed greatly concerned and apparently even called the local hospital to inquire into the wellbeing of my doppelganger. She… survived the surgery apparently." Inuyasha sucked in a breath and let it back out slowly. "That's… that's… good. I'm… glad." The corner of Kikyo's mouth turned slightly upward as if to smile. "I believe you could have called any time and found out the same information, Mister Takahashi. Curious how you haven't. Called anyone, that is." Inuyasha turned his back to her and growled softly. "Don't need to call anyone. I can get out of here on my own. I handle my own business. Don't need nobody's help." Kikyo laughed softly before turning to leave. "You're being released today. The young lady is in Room 211. Your brother really is quite amazing. He certainly does have the proper connections. Not only did he find out what room she's in, but he anonymously paid for her whole treatment as well. Said he did it because it's what your Mother would have done." Her footfalls echoed down the hall as she walked away, leaving a rather stunned Inuyasha alone with his thoughts.

It took digging, but with a few strokes of luck Sango managed to track down an Inuyasha Takahashi to the local police station. The cab she was riding in pulled up in front of the station and she stepped out. _"Want me to wait around for ya, lady?"_ Sango shook her head slightly as she handed him his fare. "No that's okay. I'm not sure how long I'll be." The cabbie nodded and pulled away from the curb. Sango turned and walked up the stairs and jerked open the main door to the station. She approached the front desk just as a tall, silver haired man with dog ears stalked past her. She stared for a moment as he walked out of the station. She turned back to the officer manning the front desk and smiled slightly. "I'm here to visit Inuyasha Takahashi please." The officer at the desk shrugged and pointed toward the front door. "Just missed him, lady. Sorry." She let out a swear and turned, bolting for the door. She tore it open and raced down the stairs, her eyes scanning for the man with the silver hair and ears. She caught sight of him a block away and she began running, yelling at him to stop. "Mister Takahashi! Mister Takahashi! Please! I need to talk with you!" Inuyasha paused right as he was about to cross the street. He turned to find a tall, dark haired woman running his direction. She caught up with him and as she paused a moment to catch her breath he gruffly asked her what the hell she was doing chasing after him. "Kagome… I'm here because of Kagome!" Inuyasha let out a sigh as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Look… Miss…" Sango stuck her hand out for him to shake it. "Sango. My name is Sango Taijiya. I'm actually Kagome's editor. Well… editor and chief life meddler. She wouldn't even be here if it hadn't been for me." Inuyasha looked at the woman a moment before slowly grasping her hand and giving it a firm, but brief shake. "So um… anyway… the reason I stopped you was because I wanted to talk with you. About Kagome." Inuyasha rolled his eyes slightly and sighed. "You already told me that, woman. Can you get to the damn point already? I really want to go back to my hotel and just take a long, hot shower." Sango's eyes widened and without hesitating she slapped Inuyasha across the cheek. "What the FUCK woman! What the hell was that for? Shit!" Sango poked him hard in the center of his chest as she began to yell. "You insensitive son of a bi… You're a real asshole, you know that? She took a damn bullet for you and all you're worried about is a hot shower? You didn't call, didn't send word, didn't do anything to check and see how she was! That girl is crazy about you, but I can see you couldn't give a shit less about her. Yeah. Yeah I think Kagome would be better off if she never saw you again. You're not worth a moment of her time. Do her a favor and just stay the hell away. I came here thinking you just might actually care about her the way she cares for you, but I was so very wrong. The sad part is I've got to go back to the hospital and try and convince her to forget your sorry ass." She turned and started to walk away when she felt a hand grab her upper arm and turn her back around. "Hold the fuck on, lady. You had your little rant and I stood here and let you go at me. Now it's my chance to talk so shut up and listen for once." He sighed and tried to reign in his temper. "Look you're right about one thing. She would be better if she never saw me again. It was my fault she was involved in this whole fucking mess to begin with. I saw her and I thought she was the woman I was hired to find. I didn't realize until it was too late she wasn't. I tried to stop him. I tried to keep her out of trouble, but no one would listen to me. I did what I could to try and keep her safe, but it wasn't enough! She got hurt anyway! Okay?! She got hurt and it was my fault! Would I have liked to have come and visited her? Would I have liked to have sat at her bedside and held her hand? No fucking shit. Of course I would! But I was fucking ashamed, okay? Not to mention I was in this damn hellhole locked up for something I tried to stop. So yeah. You go back to the hospital and you tell her that I've left town and she's better off focusing on getting well. Cause despite what you say I do care. I care enough about her to stay the fuck away from her." With that Inuyasha turned to walk away leaving a very stunned Sango unable to do little more than shake her head in frustration.

Kagome stirred softly as the door to her hospital room opened. Standing at the foot of her bed was the woman who looked just like her. Kagome blinked softly and tried to sit up, but the woman held her hand up and shook her head slightly. "Please don't hurt yourself. I only stopped in to apologize. I'm… I'm actually rather at a loss for words now that I stand in front of you. You really do look so much like me. It's actually unsettling." Kagome wanted to laugh, but it came out as more of a grunt if anything. "I would think it's more unsettling for you knowing the bullet I took was actually meant for you." Kikyo nodded softly as she gripped the handle of her briefcase tightly. "Indeed. It's quite the eye opener knowing you are looking mortality squarely in the face and it's wearing your reflection." A knock came from the door and both women glanced as it cracked and a handsome man's head popped around the open door. "Kikyo? Are you about ready? The cab is waiting downstairs to take you to the airport." Kikyo smiled faintly before turning back to Kagome. "One moment, Kouga. I'm saying good bye to Miss Higurashi." Kagome's eyes widened a bit as the man flashed her a grin and popped his back around the door before letting it shut with a soft click. "Come now, Miss Higurashi. Of course I know who you are. Do you believe me so cruel as to not see to it I know who to thank for ultimately saving my life?" Kagome blushed softly and curled the blanket around her fingers. "I… you… you really don't owe me any thanks. I think I was just in the wrong place at the right time. For what it's worth I'm glad you didn't get shot. I get the impression both Mister Kouga and Mister Takahashi would be very upset if something happened to you." Kikyo gave her an odd look before inquiring. "Mister… Takahashi? Oh! Oh yes! Inuyasha. You're speaking of Inuyasha." She began to smile slightly, the corner of her mouth turning upward. "Oh… my dear I can assure you Mister Takahashi is taken with someone, but it isn't me. I was a job. You, on the other hand, were definitely not. I had hoped once he was released from jail he would have come by and spoken with you. He was actually quite concerned." She glanced down at her watch and turned to go. "Miss Higurashi it was a pleasure meeting you. I'm quite relieved you are safe, but I'm afraid I must go. Please do get well soon! I wish you both happiness." And with that she slipped from the room leaving Kagome stunned and speechless.

Inuyasha walked into his hotel room and flopped down onto the bed with a growl. The day had been too fucking much. First he found out his asshole brother had sprung him from jail. Then to top it off he found out he'd paid for every one of Kagome's hospital bills. Just what in the seven hells was he playing at? They sure as hell had never been close. As if fate had heard his inner query his cell began to buzz in his pocket. He jerked it out and pushed the button to answer. "Takahashi here. What the fuck do you want?" The silky smooth voice on the other end of the line brought an instant frown to Inuyasha's face. _"As eloquent as ever I see. Nice to speak with you as well, Inuyasha."_ He growled and gripped the phone tighter. "Sesshomaru what the fuck do you want? Is this the 'gloat' call? Or is this the 'remind him how inferior he is' call? Cause I ain't got time for either one of them." _"I can assure you little brother I'm not calling to gloat. And I certainly have no need to remind you of how inferior you are to me. I'm afraid that's thoroughly obvious."_ Inuyasha was rapidly losing his patience and his cool. "Go fuck yourself, Sesshomaru. I'm not in the mood for your smug ass bullshit today. If you want me to thank you for your help, fine. Thank you. Now can I fucking hang up and go to bed?" Sesshomaru laughed before clicking his tongue against his teeth. _"I have no need of your thanks, Inuyasha. It's like I told Kikyo. I didn't do this for you. I did this because it's what your late mother would have done. The young miss Higurashi certainly doesn't need to pay for your mistakes. So yes, I arranged to pay for her hospital stay and I managed to pull enough strings to get you out of jail without you staying there to rot. What you do from here on I can assure you I could care less. Only try to keep the Takahashi name from further tarnish? It's my name as well and I've worked hard to maintain my position." _Inuyasha snorted lightly. "Oh sure. God fucking forbid the high and mighty Sesshomaru get his precious reputation tarnished by his degenerate, delinquent, little brother. I make a living doing what I like just like you do, asshole. So go shove your reputation right up your tight ass and leave me the fuck alone." He slammed the phone down on the table hard enough to crack the screen. "God dammit! I don't need his shit! I just don't need it! I'm a fuck up! I get it! Stop fucking reminding me!" Inuyasha stalked across the room, jerking his shirt off as he went and throwing it angrily into a corner. He paused by the mirror and glanced at his reflection in the mirror. Tangled hair, dark circles under his eyes, and a touch of a five o'clock shadow gracing his jawline greeted him. "I gotta get the fuck out of this town. It's going to be the death of me." That little voice in the back of his head nagged and taunted him. _**"No, but it was almost the death of her wasn't it? And you still haven't gotten the balls to go and see her. Thank her. Some man you are…."**_ Inuyasha turned on the shower and as the water warmed he peeled the remainder of his clothes off and stepped inside, letting the hot water pour down onto him. With his head bowed all he could do was think of her and just how much he really had let her down. What he'd told that Sango chick had been the truth. Deep down he knew she was better off. He just wasn't going to risk seeing her. Risk seeing that look of revulsion and hatred in her eyes. The faster Kagome Higurashi forgot about him the better her life was going to be.


End file.
